Lincoln Loud and the Ghoul School
by Thefoxmage
Summary: Lincoln Loud is participating in a student exchange program between Royal Woods Elementary and Miss Grimwood's finishing school. Follow along as Lincoln adjusts to life at a monster school, and a monster girl adjusts to human public school. OCs will be included. Rated T for later chapters to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: New Arrivals

**Author Note: This series was inspired by 2ndGearSage's own Loud House/Ghoul School crossover story. However, I don't really have anything romantic planned between the characters. It may happen, it may not. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. The first two chapters will be part Lincoln at Grimwood's/part an OC ghoul girl at the Loud House, and after that, I will alternate with each chapter. One chapter at Grimwood's, one chapter at Royal Woods.**

New Arrivals

'What have I gotten myself into?' A white haired young man wondered as he gazed out the window of his taxi, driving through torrential rain along what was once a dirt road. His head was on his hand as he started to ponder his situation, in spite of his nervousness. A few days back, his school, Royal Woods Elementary, had received an offer from a place called "Grimwood's" to participate in a student exchange program. One student from their school would be sent to this finishing school he had never heard of, while one of their pupils would learn at his school for a few months. And somehow, he had gotten selected among all students, and he wasn't sure why. His grades were alright, but not that great, so it couldn't be academics. Maybe they just wanted to get rid of him? No, he wasn't a troublemaker, and they would want to make a good impression on this school. Then why? 'Well, I suppose I'll find out when I get there…' he thought to himself as the cab drove through the rain, thunder and lightning. 'At least I'll have a little break from my sisters. I mean, I love them all, but sometimes, we need a little time apart. I'm sure they'd agree. Besides, we're all just a call away.'

The rest of the drive took nearly a half hour, courtesy of the thunderstorm. The cab came to a stop in front of a large moat, circling a spooky old house that the young man could only imagine being haunted. "Is….this really our destination?" He asked the cabbie.

"You headed for Grimwood's?" The boy nodded. "Then this is where you get off." The young man gulped nervously as he handed the taxi driver some money before he stepped out of the car into the rain. He goes around the back to get his suitcases and, as soon as he got them out of the trunk, the cab sped off back down the road. He couldn't say he blamed the guy. This place gave him the creeps. He lugged his heavy cases along the wet ground for a few inches when he noticed there was no drawbridge across the moat. How was he going to get inside? Just as he thought that, the bridge came crashing down with the clattering of chains and a soft thwack as it hit the mud. "Not sure if I should call that lucky or not…." He muttered as he started to cross the drawbridge. He only stopped moving when he reached the door, long enough to wipe his feet. After the mud was off his feet, the front door into the manor house opened up...but no one was on the other side. "H...hello?" He called out, his knees knocking a little as he entered. The inside was as spooky as the outside, if not more so. There were cobwebs all over the place, the entry hall was dimly lit and filled with antique furniture. "Is...is anyone home?" He called again, his voice echoing in the empty room. His words did seem to attract the attention of a bat, which flew down for a closer look at him. He flinched at the sight of the bat and ducked down a little, trying to keep his distance. He was used to bats, since one of his sisters had a pet bat. That said, he never saw a purple bat before. The bat fluttered off around behind a curtain and, seconds later, a tall young woman emerged. She had long, lavender hair, soft purple skin, and was wearing a flowing purple dress. Her eyes were a captivating green.

"Why yes, we are." She said with a charming smile and a soft, soothing voice.

"Oh...hello. I'm Lincoln...Lincoln Loud." He introduced himself to the girl before him, holding out his hand. She looked at his hand and placed her hand in his. Lincoln looked at her hand for a second before he realized what she was expecting. He softly kissed her hand.

"My, such a gentleman. We've been expecting you, Lincoln. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sibella. Sibella Dracula." She responded.

"Dracula? A...any relation to the Count?" He joked nervously. He had expected her to laugh, or maybe roll her eyes. What he didn't expect was for her to nod.

"Why yes. He is my Daddy." She grins a bit, her fangs showing.

"Y….you're a vampire!?" His face turned pale at this revelation. He backs away from Sibella, whose smile didn't fade at his sudden fear. He kept backing up until he bumped into something. He glanced upward, seeing the pale face and large, poofy black and white hair of another girl behind him. What really caught his attention was the stitches across her forehead. He recoiled back from her, the tall young lady simply smiling at him. She was wearing a tattered green dress, a yellowish green shirt underneath, a blocky sandals on her feet. Her wrists were lined with stitches as well, and she had bolts in her neck.

"Hi there. I'm Elsa Frankenteen." She said in a friendly voice.

"L...L...Lincoln Loud." He replied politely, but tinged with fear. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. To his fortune, there was a hallway to his left. "Er...would you excuse me a moment?"

"Of course." Elsa replied, just as Lincoln bolted down the hallway.

"Isn't he an excitable one?" Sibella commented with a smirk.

"Reminds me of our old gym coach." The young, reanimated girl agreed with a nod.

"Would you be so kind as to make sure he doesn't get lost or hurt himself, Elsa dear? I will go find Miss Grimwood." Elsa nods, the charming vampire changing into a bat as the flew off.

'Gotta get out of here!' Lincoln thought to himself as he ran for his life down the hall. It may have been his imagination, but this hallway seemed longer than it looked. And he could have swore he passed by the same table with a vase of dead flowers a few times already. However, he was too panicked to really think about it. Eventually, he came to the end of the hall, coming face to face with an old, wooden door. He fumbled with the handle for a moment because his hands were shaking so much, but he does manage to get it open enough for him to slip inside and shut it behind him. He found himself in what he assumed was the kitchen, judging by the long wooden counter, the hanging pots, pans and knives, the pot bellied stove with a cauldron sitting upon it and the large octopus in the butler's coat stirring something in the metal basin. 'Wait, octopus?' The middle son blinked as his senses returned and the strangeness of the scene hit him. And that wasn't all. A floating green hand was also assisting the man sized cephalopod, adding vegetables to the cauldron. Neither seemed to notice him yet, so he took his opportunity to escape. Lincoln spotted a dumbwaiter and quietly climbed inside, lowering himself down into goodness knows where. Things go very dark for a brief time as the little elevator descended into the shaft. He soon reached the bottom, opening the panel to exit the enclosed space.

"Tee hee. That was fun." Came a girlish voice from behind him. The white haired lad turned around in surprise, seeing a tall, pale, transparent girl float out after him. She was wearing a pale blue dress, and her white hair had a blue streak though it like a skunk tail. "Oh! You must be new here. I'm Phantasma!" She introduced herself energetically with a big smile.

"L...L...Lincoln Loud…" he stuttered before he ran away screaming "GHOST!".

"Was it something I said?" Phanty asked, her smile still on her lips.

Lincoln had no idea where he was going in the lower levels of Miss Grimwood's school. He wasn't even sure how long he had been running. All he knew was he needed to get away. However, this inattention cost him as he ended up tripping over something in his haste. He fell flat on his face on the cold, stone ground. He groaned in pain as he lifted himself from the ground, only to feel a great heat at his legs. He looked back to see a lizard like creature the size of a small dog. He was mostly light green with dark green spots, spikes and hair. However, he was glowing red right now, steam billowing from his mouth and snout. He scrambles away from the creature, terrified now. "S...sorry…." Lincoln hastily apologized, but the dragon didn't seem to want to hear it. He breathed a jet of fire at him, forcing the boy to forward roll away to avoid getting burned. In a desperate bid to get the fire breather away from him, he pulled a bar of chocolate from his pocket and tossed to the ground to the creature's left. Fortunately, it got the dragon's attention, as he went for the candy instead of Lincoln, giving the lad a chance to book it down the corridor. He ran blindly for a few minutes before he started to slow down, both because he was getting tired and he thought he had lost the ill tempered reptile.

He gasped for air as he surveyed the walls around him. To his surprise, the walls had changed into someone like sandstone, with Egyptian hieroglyphics along them. "What in the world…?"

"Mister, are you ok?" A little girl's voice asked from nearby.

"Yeah….yeah. Just tired, lost and scared out of my mind…." He said, his focus more on the walls than the new voice.

"Oh...well, I can help with the lost part. Come with me." He could feel a small, cloth covered hand take his and start to lead him down the passage. Her hand kind of reminded him of Lola back home. He looked down at the child and gasped when he saw that the little girl, about half his size, was completely wrapped in bandages. Even her little dress was made of bandages. The only thing that wasn't wrapped were her eyes and her big red bow.

"Are...you ok?" Lincoln asked in concern.

"I'm fine, thank you." she replied in an adorable voice, looking up at him and smiling sweetly.

"But...all the bandages…."

"I'm a mummy." She explained in a manner that suggested this was the most normal thing in the world. Lincoln had to admit, he had no idea how to react. He was holding hands with a little mummy. On the other hand, she was extraordinarily cute and she was helping him besides. A part of him was scared, but another felt he should be protecting her, not running from her. Probably the big brother in him. "I'm Tanis, by the way."

"I'm Lincoln. Lincoln Loud."

"Oh! You're the boy Miss Grimwood is expecting! How did you get down here?" Tanis inquired curiously.

"I...kinda ran here…." He explained briefly. "After I met a few girls upstairs."

"You met the others already? Great! But why did you run?"

"I….was scared." He admitted, feeling pretty guilty. "I wasn't expecting to meet a vampire, a ghost and the like...and I got scared….I guess I owe them a big apology." To his surprise, Tanis giggled a little.

"Awwww, don't worry about it, Lincoln. It happens. Our old gym teacher, Shaggy, was scared of us too, at first. He even ran away from me."

'Wow. And my sisters call me a scaredy cat.' Lincoln thought.

"We understand. We are the daughters of monsters, after all. Being scary comes with the territory." Tanis continued to explain. "But you don't need to worry. We're all really nice here."

"Even that fire breathing dragon?" Lincoln asked, looking back down the corridor.

"You met Matches too? Yeah, he can be kinda cranky sometimes, especially if his fire goes out, but give him time. He'll come around." After a few minutes of wandering through the tomb like passages, Tanis led the human boy back up to the main level. Lincoln felt rather glad to see the old, dusty wood again, after he had gotten so lost. As the little mummy started bringing him back to the entry hall, something dropped onto Lincoln from above.

"Aaah!" Lincoln cried as he fell to the ground. Tanis turned quickly, then started giggling. Sitting on the white haired lad's back was a light brown werewolf girl with puffy red hair, wearing a ratty blue dress and a light blue bow around her neck. She was snickering a bit as she climbed off of him.

"Sorry, pal, but I couldn't resist. The look on your face was priceless." She said in a growly sort of voice.

"It's fine…" Lincoln groaned, the two girls helping him to his feet.

"Winnie, you are too much, sometimes." Tanis said through her giggles.

"Oh, I'm just playing, Tanis. And thanks for being such a good sport, mister…."

"Loud. Lincoln Loud." Lincoln said as he regained his senses after his fall.

"Ah. There you are." Lincoln looked up to see Elsa Frankenteen walking toward them. "Looks like you found the others too. Good! Miss Grimwood is waiting for us."

"Lead the way, Elsa." Lincoln said. "And...I'm sorry for running like that…."

"Think nothing of it." The franken-girl waved off his apology with a chuckle. "Everyone we've met who weren't monsters ran from us the first time we met. Even old Colonel Calloway and the cadets were scared of us at first." Elsa's words did ease his mind a little, but not his conscience. When they finally arrived at the entry hall, Sibella and Phantasma were the only ones there, chatting among themselves. They both looked pleased to see the others had found Lincoln.

"Fang-tastic. We were getting a little worried, Lincoln." Sibella said with a smile.

"I didn't to make you worry. I'm sorry about that...and I'm sorry for getting so scared of you."

"Oh, that! Don't give it a second thought." The bombastic phantom gal said with a giggle.

"It's really not that big a deal." Sibella agreed.

"No, it really is, at least to me." Lincoln said, surprising the group of ghoul girls. "Instead of giving you girls a chance, all I saw was the fact that you were monsters. I know better than that. I would have missed out on a chance to get to know some nice girls by letting my fears get the better of me…"

"Ah, it's ok, Lincoln!" Winnie said, giving him a hearty slap on the back.

"We forgive you." Tanis said, giving him arm a small hug. "Right girls?" There was a general murmur of agreement and nodding of heads from Sibella, Elsa and Phantasma.

"Ah. You finally arrived." Lincoln turned his head toward the sound of the soft, motherly voice coming from their right. A middle aged woman with black hair, a pink dress, and a red cape, bandana and shoes was walking toward them, a big smile on her face. "You must be Lincoln Loud."

"I am, ma'am." He replied.

"I am Miss Grimwood, headmistress of the Grimwood Finishing School. A pleasure to meet you at last." She walked over to Lincoln, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We have much to discuss, Mr Loud. If you would be so kind as to accompany me to my office. You can get better acquainted with my girls later."

"Y...yes ma'am. See you later, girls." He waved to the five girl ghouls, who waved back to him, watching as Miss Grimwood escorted him through the house to her office. Well, it was more a study than an office. Very cozy, with a nice, if dusty, desk, a large wooden chair, a large fireplace, and walls lined with bookshelves. The headmistress made herself comfortable behind her desk, beckoning the eleven year old to take the cushioned seat opposite her. Lincoln nodded softly as he sat down.

"Now then, I am sure you have a great many questions. Well, ask away, Mr Loud."

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood. I think my first question would be why I was chosen, out of all the students? I mean, I don't have the best grade even in my class or…" he started, but Miss Grimwood held up her hand.

"I had many reasons for choosing you, Lincoln. You see, until recently, we were called the 'Grimwood Finishing School of Girls', a private school for monster girls of some of the most famous monsters of all time. Here, they learn all the essentials to becoming a productive member of monster society. However, times are changing, and with them, I began to notice that two major social elements were missing from the Girls' education. Social interactions with the opposing gender, and social interactions with humans."

"So I'm pretty much killing two birds with one stone?" Lincoln asked.

"Precisely. But, I had to find just the right boy. A mature young man, with a moral compass, a good mind and heart, and is used to living among many girls. And judging from what I've heard from your teachers and your little speech down there, Mr Loud, that sounds like you to a T." Lincoln couldn't help but blush a bit at that. "This is, of course, an experimental idea for us. It will take some adjusting, for us and for you. But should it succeed, it will drastically improve human/monster relations in the future."

"I just hope the exchange student will be alright…" Lincoln said, suddenly feeling very concerned. "I have no idea how my classmates will react to a monster girl, even a nice one…"

"I'm sure she'll do just fine." Miss Grimwood said with a smile.

Back at the Loud House, Mr and Mrs Loud had gathered the teen girls together in the living room, in preparation to meet the exchange student they would be housing for the duration of the program. "Ok, girls. The student from Miss Grimwood's will be here any minute." Rita said, moving about the living room, fussing over every little thing, trying to make sure everything was perfect.

"While she is here, kids, we want you to make sure she feels right at home. Like she were a member of the family." Lynn Sr instructed.

"No matter how different she may or may not be." Rita added.

"Mom, Dad, you can relax." Lori said, smiling at them. "You can count on us to make sure our guest feels welcome." Just then, there was a knock on the door. "That must be her." Rita and Lynn Sr rushed over to answer it, their ten daughters all crowding behind them for a first look at their new house guest. After a quick, calming breath, the Loud parents opened the door.

"Hello, and welcome to the Loud Hou…." They started to say in unison, but their words froze in their throats when they saw who was standing on the other end of the door. A pale green, cute looking zombie girl, about Lincoln's age. Her black hair was clean, but unkempt. She had stitches around her shoulders, knees and around her neck. She was wearing a torn and tattered t shirt, a knee length, threadbare plaid skirt, one knee high sock and two worn out shoes. She smiles up at them, carrying two suitcases with her.

"Hiya. My name is Zanya!" She said in a cheery manner. Almost every member of the Loud Family was too stunned to say anything. The only one who wasn't was Lucy, who squeezed her way through her sisters and parents, a small smile on her face as she held a hand out to Zanya.

"Hello. I'm Lucy Loud. Welcome to Royal Woods." She said in her usual monotone voice.

"Now, then, while I don't think I'll have any trouble with you, Mr Loud, I will still need to go over some basic rules. Our humble school does share many of the same rules as traditional public school: attend your classes when they are scheduled, don't fight, don't disrupt the class. However, we also have some special rules of our own. First: do not leave the Grimwood School property without permission, and do not go outside at night. It's for your own safety, dear."

"I understand. I don't know what's around here." Lincoln responded with a nod.

"Precisely. Second: use of spells and hexes against your fellow students, Matches, or Grimwood property is expressly prohibited outside of classroom exercises."

"I...don't think that'll be a problem, Miss Grimwood. I can't even use magic." At that, the headmistress smirked at him.

"I think you would be surprised, Lincoln. Anyway, third, any and all guests will need to be approved by myself before visitations will be permitted. After an incident with a witch named Revolta, we've needed to increase security measures around the school. Anyone who tries to sneak in, I will know and they will regret it. And finally, Sundays will be a free day for all students. You can use it as an opportunity to rest, catch up with your homework, or even return home for a visit if you wish. Just be sure to let me know before you leave anywhere, dear."

"I will, Miss Grimwood."

"Fabulous. Now, are there any other questions you'd like to ask?" Lincoln thought for a moment, then he remembered he had brought his laptop with him.

"Will I have access to the internet here?"

"I'm afraid not, Lincoln." She explained, shaking her head. "We don't even have computers here as of yet. Your phone should still function, however, so you can call your friends and family. However, I must insist you leave it in your room during class hours." Lincoln felt a little disappointed by this, but he still had a few games on his laptop that he could play without internet access.

"Also, back home, I lived with ten sisters…"

"My, that is quite a family." Miss Grimwood commented in surprise.

"...it is. And it makes mornings very difficult with everyone needing the bathroom at the same time. Is there some system or schedule in place?" The middle aged headmistress had to consider this a moment, her fingernail tapping her lip.

"A very good question. At the moment, don't have anything in place, but with only eight other students, two of which not even requiring the use of the shower, and three restrooms, we can make something work."

"And...that fire breathing dragon...Matches I think his name was. I...kinda got off on the wrong foot with him earlier…is there anything you can recommend to get back in his good graces? And chocolate isn't harmful to him, is it?" Lincoln asked, remembering his encounter with the puppy sized dragon earlier.

"Ah, my dear Matches. He can be a handful. I am afraid he does tend to hold a grudge, but he'll get over it with time. And yes, he can have chocolate, but he shouldn't. It really packs on the pounds, and Matches is getting round enough as it stands." She snickers a bit, knowing if the little dragon was around, he'd be growling from embarrassment.

"Hehe. Thanks for the information, Miss Grimwood...oh, one last question." Lincoln said, having nearly forgotten an important question. "What kind of classes can I expect here, apart from the standard reading, writing and arithmetic?"

"Well, there are history classes, science…" The motherly head of the school said, raising a finger as she listed each class. "...art, gym, home economics, spellcraft, potions; you know, all the essentials."

"Of course...thank you again, Miss Grimwood."

"My pleasure, young man. Now, if you are ready, my helping hand will lead you to your room. Once you are unpacked and settled, perhaps you could meet the rest of the girls. There is still some time left in the day, after all." Lincoln raised an eyebrow and looked down at his watch. To his surprise, it was only seven o'clock. Given how dark it was outside, he assumed it was much later. Then again, it was storming outside. "And if you ever need anything, or have any concerns, Lincoln, don't hesitate to come calling. My door is always open."

"I'll remember that. Have a good evening, Miss Grimwood." Lincoln said, smiling to her as he rose from his chair.

"Same to you. Tata." She waved to him as he left her study. "Such a nice boy." She commented to herself, standing up and walking to the window. "The first male student to be permitted into Grimwood's since it's conception...and a human too. It is quite a leap, but it's an important one." She reminded herself as she watched forked lightning streak across the sky. "Humans and monsters have, for too long, been intolerant to one another...not without reason, of course. But perhaps this exchange program can be the first baby steps to bringing about a world where we may all coexist in peace." She continued to simply observe the storm outside, thinking to herself 'I can hope, at least.'


	2. Chapter 2: Getting To Know You

**AN: Special thanks to OmegaDelta for giving me the idea of Lincoln and Zanya communicating if they needed help. Hadn't really considered that before. Can't be on the computer though, since there is no wifi wifi at Grimwood's...yet.**

Getting to know you

After giving their guest a hearty handshake, Lucy led the zombie girl inside the house, the eleven other speechless Louds stepping aside without a single word. The gothic eight year old turns to her family, her smile fading. "Guys….aren't you going to introduce yourselves?"

"Er….right." Rita said, snapping out of her stupor. "Sorry. I'm Rita Loud, and this is my husband, Lynn Sr…" The Loud Matriarch said, with Lynn Sr still effectively frozen.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr and Mrs Loud." Zanya said as she curtseyed to them. Seeing how friendly this girl was, Leni smiled as she got over her shock.

"Hi there! I'm Leni Loud." She said. Lana was the next to recover.

"You...are….so cool!" She exclaimed, startling Zanya. "Oh. Sorry. It's just I never got to a real zombie up close."

"Lana!" Rita scolded her with a frown. "That's not a nice thing to say…"

"How so?" Zanya asked with a tilted head.

"Calling you a zombie just because you happen to look so pale, and.." Rita started to say.

"But I am a zombie." The child replied. To prove her point, she took hold of her head and removed it from her neck. This made almost everyone in the room scream, with Lynn Sr fainting as well. The only ones who weren't frightened by this act were Lucy (who was unaffected altogether), Lana (who was so excited she looked ready to burst), Lisa (who was intrigued) and Lynn Jr, who only had one thing to say about that:

"Cool!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth!" Lana agreed. "I'm Lana, by the way."

"And I'm Lynn Jr. Nice ta meetcha." The sporty sister said, shaking Zanya's hand.

"Careful there, or I might lose a hand." The zombie gal said with a giggle, putting her head back on..

"Never have I ever imagined in all my existence…" Lisa muttered, moving closer to Zanya, trying to examine her. "A true, ambulatory, sentient, corpse…had I not seen it with my own eyes…"

"That's Lisa." Lynn explained, pointing at the science obsessed toddler. "Don't mind her. The world is all one big science experiment to her." Lisa simply huffed at her older sister before returning to her examination. Lily crawled her way over to the girl from Grimwood, looking up at her. The infant wasn't really sure what a zombie was, but as she looked into the big, precious eyes, she knew she wasn't a bad person. Lily smiled and held her arms up to her.

"Zaya!" She cooed, Zanya giggling and picking Lily up.

"Why, hello there, cutie. What's your name?"

"Her name is Lily." Leni explained, gently mussing up her little tuft of hair before taking the baby back into her arms. Seeing Lily warming up to Zanya was enough to convince Luna and Luan that she was alright.

"Hey. Sorry we were so rude before." Luna said apologetically, shaking Zanya's hand. "Luna's the name and Rock is my game."

"And I'm Luan. I hope you'll like being our 'ghost' of honor." She quipped, getting groans from most of her sisters, but getting giggles from the zombie gal and Lucy.

"Hello...I'm Lori…" The eldest Loud sister said warily.

"And this here is my twin, Lola." Lana said, when the pageant princess still wouldn't speak.

"Mother...father...can we talk a moment?" Lola asked quietly, leading her mother and dragging her unconscious father outside so they could talk in private. "Are you nuts!?" She whispered in outrage. "You're going to let that…thing stay here!? In this house!?"

"Lola...I know that she is rather unusual, but she seems like a very well behaved young lady." Rita responded, glancing inside to where her daughters were all chatting with their guest.

"Her manners aren't the problem. She is a ZOMBIE. A filthy, disgusting, dead body that can walk!"

"Lola!"

"What!? That's what she is!" Lola snapped. "Lana is cleaner than a zombie! And that's not to mention what zombies are supposed to eat! Brains!"

"Where in Earth did you learn that!?" Rita crossed her arms in front of her, leering down at her daughter. Lola froze a moment, thinking quickly of a lie.

"...Lincoln's video games?" She finally replied.

"What were you doing playing those games!?"

"I didn't! Lincoln played them in front of me!" Lola lied again, but at this point, her credibility was non-existent. And Rita's patience was getting there.

"Regardless, Lola...Zanya hasn't given you any reason to think so terribly about her. Zombie or no, she is our guest, and you will treat her with the respect she deserves."

"But she…"

"Hasn't done anything to warrant this behavior. Period." Her mother's tone suggested that this was final. Lola growled in frustration, turning her back to her, pouting at her defeat. "...Lola, look…if she does do something, which I doubt, then I will see what I can do about sending her home. But until then, she is our guest. Now, you are going to go back in there with us, and you are going to treat Zanya as nice as she treats you."

"Fine…" Lola groaned. Rita took the opportunity to revive her husband before they returned to the living room.

Back inside…

"...and it is somewhat handy to be able to do this." Zanya said, pulling off one of her arms so she could scratch her back.

"Nice." Lucy commented, smiling as she watched.

"But yeah, other than removable limbs and not being alive, I'm just like anyone else." She continued, reattaching her arm. "Well...except for one other thing." She amended, just as Rita, Lynn Sr and Lola stepped back inside. "I do have a big appetite…"

"An appetite for what…?" Lola asked suspiciously.

"Carrots." Zanya responded, pulling a bag of carrot sticks one of her bags.

"Carrots? That's…Not what I was expecting." Lynn Jr said, scratching the back of her head.

"Well, that's just one of my favorites. I also love pomegranates, peanut butter, chocolate, especially chocolate…"

"You're not alone there, sister." Luan said with a chuckle.

"...and cheese. I love cheese. All kinds of cheeses." Zanya licked her lips as she imagined a huge wedge of gouda.

"I think I'll make my special Lynnsagna tonight...just to stay on her good side." Lynn Sr whispered to Rita, who rolled her eyes at him.

"Just thinking about it makes me hungry...excuse me." She pulls out a handful of carrot sticks and just tears into them, sending bits of carrot all over the place. The Loud's just started in astonishment, or disgust in Lola's case, with Charles going around lapping up the scraps. "Mmmmmm. Oh. Sorry. When I get hungry, I'm kind of a messy eater."

"You and me, both." Lana commented.

"It's not good for me to get too hungry either. It hurts really bad…" Zanya explained, patting her stomach a bit. "Like...REALLY, really bad. So I always carry plenty of snacks with me." she opened up the bag where she had pulled her carrot sticks from, showing it was loaded with food: carrot and celery sticks, apple slices, pomegranate seeds, peanut butter cups, cheese sticks, cheese cubes, chocolate drops, and a few pb & j sandwiches.

"Nothing like being prepared, I suppose." Lisa said, cleaning off her glasses for a moment.

"Lucy, would you be so kind as to show Zanya where she'll be staying?" Rita asked the eight year old vampire enthusiast.

"Of course, Mom." Lucy replied, with Lynn helping their ghoul guest with her bags. "So, what do you think so far?"

"Your family seems nice." Zanya responded. "I kinda expected their initial reaction though."

"Well, to be fair, it's not everyday a zombie comes to stay." Lynn said, carrying her suitcases with ease.

"Yeah, I know. But besides that, I don't think Lola is too thrilled with me."

"Meh. She's a snob. Don't worry about her."

"Lynn's right. Though don't tell her so. Lola is...most unpleasant when angered." Lucy warned her as they led her to Lincoln's room "Apologies ahead of time, but Lincoln's room is a little small." She opened the door, giving Zanya a chance to look inside. Even with most of Lincoln's stuff out of the room, it was still a linen closet converted into a bedroom.

"This will work nicely." The zombie gal said with a smile, stepping inside with Lynn right behind. "Thank you, Lucy, Lynn."

"Anytime, Zan." Lynn said, giving her new friend another hearty handshake.

"You're quite welcome." Lucy replied. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually, there is one more thing you could do for me." The Grimwood girl said, a thoughtful look on her face. "Could you give me your brother's phone number?"

"Whoa, a little forward, aren't ya? Haven't even met him and you're already asking for his number?" The thirteen year old sports star joked, getting a laugh from Zanya.

"I just want his number handy in case I need a little help and can't ask any of you." She explained, once she stopped laughing.

"Yeah, I figured. Was just ribbing ya." She pulled out her phone and gave Zanya a chance to copy his number.

"Perfect. Thank you."

"No prob, Zan. Make yourself right at home." Lynn and Lucy bid their guest farewell for now and left her to get settled.

"Well, it was a bit of an awkward first impression, but overall, I think I'm going to like it here." She said to herself as she started to unpack. "I hope the kids at the school are as nice."

Back at Grimwood's, Lincoln had just finished unpacking his things. He had been given the room that once belonged to their old gym teacher, Shaggy Rogers. It was much more spacious than his room back in Royal Woods. So much so, he had no idea what to do with all the room. He had put away all his clothes, set his laptop on the bedside table, plugged his phone in to charge, and then decorated the room with a few of his Ace Savvy and Musclefish posters. It took the young man a little less than a half hour to get set up. "There we go. Save for some cobwebs and extra space, it's just like home." He said, talking to the audience. "And if the other girls are as nice as Sibella, Tanis and the others, I think I may like it here." As he was breaking the fourth wall, there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

"Hey there, Lincoln." Winnie said as she opened the door and entered. "Like what you did with the room."

"Thanks, Winnie. What's up?" He asked, smiling at the young werewolf.

"Sibella asked me to invite you to the common room, so you can introduce yourself to the other girls and we can learn more about one another." She replied.

"Sounds like a good idea. Lead the way." The excitable wolf girl smiled and rushed out of the room. Lincoln followed soon after, but the moment he stepped into the hall, he was shoved back into his room by a small, powerful hand.

"Out of my way, Earthling." Said a little, pink alien girl with a round head and eyes on stalks. She was wearing a blue and green space suit that wouldn't look out of place on the Jetsons, and a glass helmet over her head. She was no bigger than Lola or Lana.

"Hey!" Lincoln landed on his back on the floor, frowning at the door.

"You ok, Linc?" Winnie looked back into the room after she heard him hit the ground.

"Yeah….nothing seriously injured." He responded, his furry friend helping him up. "Who was that?"

"That was M-149. She arrived close to the end of last year from Mars." Winnie explained while Lincoln dusted himself off. "She thinks she's superior to everyone from this planet…"

"I see…" He sighed, thinking 'I guess it was too much to expect for everyone to be nice.' After glancing into the hall to make sure no one else would knock him down again, he started to follow Winnie through the halls. They had to pause once because they ran into Matches enroute and Lincoln wanted to give the cranky reptile a wide berth. Soon, they arrived in the Grimwood common room. The room was pretty large, with two old, rectangular tables set up in the center of the room, surrounded by six wooden chairs each. Large cushioned chairs were also artfully arranged throughout the room, most near the iron chandelier that lit the room. There were bookshelves all over the room, though only about three quarters of them had books. The rest had games for the students to play during free time. Sibella was seated in one of the comfy chairs, quietly reading. Elsa was engaged in a game of chess with a humanoid fish girl wearing a kelp and moss dress, with Phantasma spectating from overhead. Tanis was working on a puzzle by herself. A light pink dinosaur like girl in a dark pink bow and tutu was doing some painting in one corner of the room, while M-149 seemed to be keeping well away from the others as well. Lincoln quietly glances around the room when Sibella noticed him and Winnie.

"Ah. Lincoln. Fangs a lot for coming." She said, which got everyone's attention. Tanis smiled brightly, as did Phanty, while Elsa waved to him as soon as she spotted him. M-149 seemed to be pretending he wasn't there, polishing her little toy (or so he hoped) ray gun. The fish girl went pale at the sight of the human boy and promptly hid under the table. The large reptilian girl paused in the act of applying brush to canvas, looking at Lincoln curiously. "Ladies, allow me to introduce our guest from Royal Woods, Mr Lincoln Loud." She knew most of the students already met him, but for the sake of those who hadn't, there was no harm in introducing him again.

"..hello." He said quietly with a nervous wave. Despite knowing a couple of the girls already, seeing so many eyes on him made him somewhat anxious.

"You're a human…." The reptilian girl said, in a breathy kind of voice that didn't quite fit her. "All fleshy and pink...with no scales, claws or fangs…" she continued, moving from behind her easel to get a closer look at him.

"Er….yeah…" Lincoln replied awkwardly, a little uncomfortable how close she was getting and how she was poking at him and pulling at his shirt.

"Since you're so eager to get close to him, why don't you introduce yourself?" Phanty said with a giggle.

"Oh. Right. I'm Gosuki, daughter of Gojira."

"Gojira? As in...Godzilla!? The king of the Kaiju!?"

"That's my Daddy, alright." Gosuki said with a smile. "All my friends tend to call me Suki, though."

"Suki is a bit of an indecisive artist." Winnie explained as she sat down next to Sibella. "Every week, she tries a new form of art. This week is painting. Last week, writing music."

"Though she's pretty good at all of them. A real Jane of all arts." Tanis added.

"Awwww, guys. You'll make me blush." Suki said with a giggle.

"And the girl under the table is Gila." Else pointed at the table where she sat, where the fish girl sat shaking with fear. "Gila...it's ok. You can come out."

"N….no…" She responded, a bit of a gurgle to her voice. "I know what humans do to creatures like me...he'll throw me on hot coals and cook me for dinner."

"I wouldn't do that to you…" Lincoln said, a little hurt at the accusation.

"Are you saying you don't eat fish?" She inquired fearfully. He was quiet for a moment, since he couldn't in good conscience say he didn't. "That's what I thought…..I'm staying down here…" Tanis climbed out of her seat and crawled under the table with her aquatic friend.

"Gila, Lincoln wouldn't hurt any of us. He's a nice guy." The youngest of the girls said, patting Gila's webbed hand encouragingly. However, she remained firm in her convictions. She refused to move. Tanis sighed and crawled out, shrugging to her friends.

"I'm sure, in time, she will come around." Sibella said in a calm manner. She then turned to the Martian. "I believe it's your turn."

"I have nothing to say to the Earthling, Earth Vampire." M-149 replied flatly.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say she isn't fond of earthlings." Lincoln said, frowning at the little alien's rudeness.

"Fascinating statement of the obvious, earthling…."

"Her name is M-149, though we call her Milly." Sibella told Lincoln, her patience with the alien girl dwindling.

"Not that she responds to any name…" Winnie growled, her claws sinking into the arms of the chair.

"Is she like that to everyone?" Lincoln inquired.

"No. She treats Miss Grimwood with respect, of course." Elsa answered. "And she seems to get along alright with Tanis and Gila." Lincoln looks at Milly with a bit of a frown. He was kind of reminded of Lisa, only the alien before him was less verbose. He was thrown off his musings when Suki pulled on his turkey tail.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Gosuki! Be careful." Sibella suddenly scolded the young Kaiju to be, a slight frown on her face. "You're hurting him."

"Oh. Sorry. I guess your hair isn't as strong as Elsa's." Suki stepped back, holding her hands between him and her.

"It's ok...it didn't hurt that much." Lincoln said, rubbing his head a little.

"I suppose if Gila and Milly don't wish to talk, I guess we can tell you more about ourselves." Phantasma said, lowering herself into a chair where she sat cross legged. "I'm Phantasma, but you can call me Phanty if you like. I enjoy floating around, having fun, and playing the piano."

"You're a musician? My sister Luna is a musician too."

"Really? What a small world! Maybe we can play a duet together."

"I'm more into science myself." Elsa interjected. "After all, science was how my whole family was created. I specialize in all things electrical, with a bit of biology as well."

"You would probably get on well with my sister, Lisa. She loves science. She even has a PHD, and she's only four years old."

"Pfft. Your PHD's are the equivalent of passing preschool on Mars." M-149 bragged arrogantly. Lincoln chose to ignore her. Though the little alien wouldn't admit it, she did find it somewhat impressive someone as young as Lisa could achieve that.

"I'm more a girl of action myself." Winnie piped up, standing on her chair. "Volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, sports of any kind, or even just going for a run just for grins. If it gets my body moving and my blood pumping, then it's my idea of fun!" She howled loudly as she lept from her seat, flipped right over Lincoln's head, and landing in another chair right behind him.

"Let me guess. She reminds you of a sister too?" Phanty asked, detecting a pattern.

"Yeah. My sister Lynn is a sports star." Lincoln confirmed.

"How many sisters do you have, exactly?" Suki asked, scratching her scaly head.

"Ten sisters: five older and five younger."

"TEN!?" Else, Winnie, Tanis, Phantasma, Sibella and Suki all gasped in astonishment, even Gila joined in front under the table.

"Only ten? Try having over two hundred brothers and sisters…" Milly grumbled, trying not to be heard this time.

"Do I remind you of any of your sisters, Lincoln?" Tanis asked, smiling up at him.

"Heh. Actually, yeah. You're as kind as my older sister Leni, and as cute as my baby sister Lily." He said, gently rubbing Tanis' head, making the little mummy blush a bit.

"And as for me…" Sibella started. "I have a preference for more quiet hobbies. Reading, tailoring, bat watching, though I also enjoy practicing spellcraft as well."

"She's the oldest of all of us, so she's pretty much our leader too." Winnie explained.

"Just like Lori." Lincoln said with a smile. "I guess it's my turn. I enjoy reading comic books and playing video games. I don't really have a special talent, other than making plans, but I've picked up a few things from helping my sisters over the years." He said, the attention of almost every girl on him. "I've learned to play a couple different instruments from Luna, learned the art of clowning from Luan, some poetry knowledge from Lucy, and how to care for reptiles and amphibians from Lana, to name a few."

"So, you're the 'Mr Nice Guy' sort?" Sibella teased softly with a smirk, getting a little blush from Lincoln.

"Hehe. I guess I am." He said with a coy chuckle, which caused some of the girls to giggle a little. The rest of the evening was spent engaging in small talk, with Gila only participating if it weren't Lincoln speaking, and Milly staying out of it entirely. They talked about Lincoln's hometown, their school, and especially the Halloween Open House in a few months. "So, if I'm understanding it correctly, on Halloween, Miss Grimwood invites our parents to the school so she can meet them and they can meet the other teachers?"

"You almost got it." Suki said. "There are no other teachers. But everything else is right."

"All our Daddies come, we throw them a big party, and have so much fun!" Phanty chirped cheerfully. "Maybe we'll get to meet your dad!" Lincoln thought for a moment about the idea of his father coming to Grimwood's. The mental images of Lynn Sr screaming at the very sight of the old house, or fainting when he met the girls, made Lincoln suppress a chuckle.

"I don't know about Dad, but Mom might come." Lincoln said. "Maybe she'll bring a few of my sisters too, if Miss Grimwood is ok with it. I can imagine Lucy would love it here."

"That place...sounds…..amazing." Lucy said, nearly squealing with delight at the dinner table. Zanya had just finished describing the her school to the Loud Family, between bites of Lynnsanga. The zombie girl was ADORING the meal; the delicious sauce, the combination of warm, melted cheeses, the perfectly seasoned meat. She had said herself she would have come back to life just for a taste of the lasagna. The head of the Loud Family couldn't help but swell with pride at how their guest was loving his cooking.

"It is pretty cool." Zanya said, wiping the sauce from her lips with her napkin.

"Sounds kinda creepy to me." Lori commented, earning a disapproving look from her mother.

"I know! Isn't that great?" Lucy and Zanya both said together, before looking at one another for a second. Then the zombie girl started laughing and the goth girl started giggling. Lori hadn't really intended it to be a compliment, but she planned to roll with it if it meant avoiding trouble.

"Well, it does sound 'spook-tacular'." Luan jested, snickering and earning a laugh from their guest and her father.

"Good one, Luan." Lynn Sr said.

"Mom, do you think I can transfer to Miss Grimwood's?" Lucy asked, a pleading look in her eyes, although no one could see it.

"I...think it's only for monster girls, dear." Rita said, trying to dissuade her.

"Not if this exchange works out." Zanya stated, getting the attention of all twelve Louds. "Miss Grimwood started this program to see if allowing humans and boys into the school will work, as well as improving human/monster relations."

"That is quite a worthy goal, though I cannot say I am familiar with the current state of the relationship between humans and monster kind." Lisa said.

"In that case….we'll see, Lucy…" Rita gulped as she realized her one excuse had just been thrown out the window.

"You'll get a chance to see the school for yourself on Halloween." Zanya said. "Every Halloween, there's an open house. I'm sure Miss Grimwood will invite you two."

"H...Halloween…?" Lynn Sr stuttered in fear.

"Is something wrong?"

"Don't mind him. He's just not a fan of Halloween for...reasons." Rita explained, trying to calm her shaken hubby.

"Oh. I see. Sorry." Zanya said apologetically as she cleaned her plate.

"No! No, it's not your fault, Zanya." Lynn Sr hastily. "You had no way of knowing." She smiled lightly to him as she took her plate to the sink and was about it clean it and the dishes.

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear." Rita said, getting up from the table and walking over to the zombie girl.

"I insist, Mrs Loud. You're all allowing me to stay here and gave me such a wonderful meal. The least I can do is help clean up."

"That's very sweet of you, Zanya, but you are our guest. After coming all this way and unpacking, I imagine you're quite tired."

"Not really." Rita and Zanya just look at each other for a moment, frowning slightly until Mrs Loud had an idea.

"How about this, dear? Tonight, you rest, and starting tomorrow, you can help out with some of Lincoln's chores. How does that sound?" Zanya silently considered this compromise, then nodded with a smile.

"That sounds fair. Sure thing, Mrs Loud." The two shook hands on it.

"I'm glad we could find a compromise. Now run along and enjoy yourself tonight, Zanya." She nods and hurries off to her room to wait for the others to finish.

"I'm not touching any plate she touched ever again…" Lola muttered under her breath as she watched the zombie girl go upstairs. Zanya flopped down onto her bed and pulled out her phone. She wondered for a moment if Lincoln would have his phone on him. Well, one way to find out. She pressed the dial button on her contacts and waited. After about three rings, someone on the other end answered.

"Hello?" Lincoln asked.

"Hello. Is this Lincoln Loud?" Zanya asked.

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"Zanya. I'm the student from Grimwood's."

"Ah! Hey there. How are you holding up there?"

"Well enough. You're family is pretty nice, but wow, is it a big family…" the two of them share a soft laugh.

"Yeah. We get that a lot when people first meet us."

"I can imagine. I tend to freak people out when I first meet them. Kinda comes with the zombie territory, I suppose." She said, staring up at the ceiling with a small smile.

"You're a zombie? Cool."

"Hehe. Thanks. How do you like our school?"

"I admit, I was pretty scared at first, but after a while and getting to know some of the girls, I think it's a nice place."

"Awesome. By the way, do you mind if I ask you a little favor?"

"Not at all. What do you need?"

"You know a lot more about how human society works than I do, and more about your family. And odds are, I won't be able to always talk to your family…"

"I think I see where this is going. And I probably would need some help myself with certain aspects of Grimwood. We could easily help each other."

"Sounds good. Thanks a lot, Lincoln."

"No sweat, Zanya. Call me anytime class isn't in session if you need help, or even if you just want to talk."

"Right back at you." She responded, her smile growing. "I hope I didn't call too late. I know there's a bit of a time difference between here and there."

"Nah. I was just getting comfortable, reading some comics. But lights out should be coming soon. I better get ready for bed."

"I hear you, Lincoln. Talk to you later. Good night."

"Good night, Zanya. Have a good first day at Royal Woods."

"Thanks. Same to you at Grimwood's." Zanya and Lincoln both hung up their phones.

'He/She sounded cute.' They thought together as they looked at their phones with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3: Lincoln's First Day

Author Notes: Thank you for the reviews regarding LLATGS. I thought I would take this time to answer a few questions or concerns voiced in the reviews here. First, regarding Lori and Lola. I had the feeling Lori would probably be the most wary of Zanya, being the protective big sister she is, but not necessarily hostile. Lola, as a neat freak, would naturally be opposed to having something as potentially filthy as a zombie around. I felt it would add a little extra conflict, like with Gila's fear of humans or Milly's disrespect toward most earthlings on Lincoln's end. Is there hope for them? I would say yes, considering both sides will have bigger things to worry about in the future, but I don't want to give too much away. And for those asking about relationships/harems...I haven't really made up my mind regarding romantic relationships between Lincoln and the ghoul girls. It wasn't something I planned on, but it could still happen. What I will say is Ronnie Anne will make an appearance sooner or later. Well, that's all from me for now. Enjoy the chapter and may good fortune shine on you until we meet again.

Lincoln's First Day

The white haired Loud boy was awakened by the sound of his alarm clock going off at six in the morning. While breakfast didn't start till seven, followed by his first class, Lincoln had made it a habit to get up nice and early so he could get to the bathroom before his sisters. It didn't always work, but at least he wouldn't have to wait long. He grabbed a change of clothes and made his way down the hall to the bathroom, finding the door closed. Back at the Loud House, this would be a bad sign. It meant the room was occupied. He couldn't hear any water running, so he tested the water by knocking.

"Just a moment. I'm almost done with my bath." Gila said from inside the bathroom.

"Take your time. There's no rush." Lincoln replied, though he regretted speaking at all the moment he did. He heard Gila squeak with fear and water slosh around. "Ah, dang it...I forgot she was afraid of me…." He groaned, his palm on his face. "Alright, Gila...I'm not going to hurt you or anything. I'm just waiting for a shower...but I'm going to wait further down the hall, away from the door. Would that make you feel a little better?" All was silent in the room for a few seconds, until her heard a faint yes from within. "Ok. I'm backing away from the door." He said, backing up until he was half way down the hall. He stood out in the open, suspecting she would feel better being able to see him as opposed to not know where that she feared lay. A couple minutes later, the aquatic girl peeks her head around the bathroom door. She could see the human lad just standing there, well away from her. She slowly emerged, not taking her eyes off him. Gila edged back a few inches, then said something quietly before she ran off. Lincoln couldn't hear her, but he could have swore he read a thank you from her lips. He managed to get a shower and changed without incident, but the moment he tried to step out of the restroom, her ran into the last one he wanted to see; Matches. The baby dragon took one look at him and growled, forcing Lincoln to retreat back into the bathroom. "Ok. That's not going to work." He gulped, wondering how he was getting out of this.

He walks to the window opposite the door. It was small and round, but he might be able to squeeze through. Given the choice between climbing down from the window and facing Matches, he'd take the window. He opens the window and finds, to his fortune, there were a cluster of vines growing up the walls of the old house. Now he just had to hope they could hold his weight. He threw caution to the wind and climbs out the window. The flora tendrils shifted a bit in his grasp, but they held. He slowly descends until he reaches a window on the lower floor. Leading to a hallway by the look of it. He tried the window, but of course, it was locked. As he considered just climbing down to the ground and going around to the front door, he spotted Winnie passing by in the hall. He tapped on the glass, getting the young werewolf's attention. "Huh? Lincoln? What are you doing out there?" She asked, opening the window.

"Matches had me trapped in the bathroom, so I had to find another way out." He explained, getting a few snickers from the lycan.

"Sorry, Linc. I know I shouldn't laugh…"

"Don't worry about it, Winnie." He replied, thinking about how his sisters would have teased him if they saw him getting chased by the little dragon. Then again, they'd probably be just as terrified if they had Matches angry at them. "Headed down to breakfast?"

"You bet. They're serving bacon today." The little werewolf replied, licking her lips. "We better hurry down, so we can get the best pieces." The human boy smiled and followed his furred friend through the halls down to the dining room. Phantasma was already there, waving as they entered.

"You're up early, Phantasma." Lincoln commented.

"Well, I don't really need much sleep. Or any, really, being a ghost." She replied, giggling. "And please, call me Phanty."

"Oh. Well, if you insist, Phanty."

"Hehehehe. I like how that sounds. So cute, right, Linky?" She asked, chortling non stop. Lincoln blushed lightly, bringing even more mirth from the spirit's lips. "You don't mind if I call you that, right?"

"N...no. No. Go right ahead." Lincoln stuttered, getting a warm smile from her in return. The three of them started chatting about their upcoming classes when the other girls started to arrive, one by one. When Gila arrived in the dining room, she froze upon seeing Lincoln at the center of the table, between Winnie and Elsa. The young lad noticed this and moved himself over to the other side of the little lycan, in the far corner of the table. The fish girl calmed down and sat in the opposite corner. Winnie, Elsa and Tanis all frowned a bit at Gila, but none of them said anything.

"Hey...someone is missing." Lincoln pointed out, noticing the little alien was absent from the table.

"She insists on eating in her room." Elsa explained. "She thinks it's beneath her to dine with Earthlings."

"And by that, she means us as well." Sibella elaborated, not wishing Lincoln to think it may be his fault somehow.

"Strange. Miss Grimwood isn't here yet either." Gosuki said, pointing toward the head of the table. This struck the girls as odd, since their headmistress always joined them for breakfast. They started wondering where she was when the gong signalling breakfast was served was rang. The octopus Butler wheeled out a long catering trolley, placing a covered tray in front of each student, as well as large platters of burnt toast and bacon between them.

"Shouldn't we wait for her?" Lincoln inquired, to which the man sized mollusk shook his head, beckoning them to begin. He looked at the burnt toast and bacon and flinched a little. The Grimwood Girls, on the other hand, seemed to love it, scooping up charred slices and strips. Winnie especially was getting handfuls of the overcooked pork strips. The young lad lifted his dome and found a bowl of oatmeal with little blue and black spheres in it. "Mmm. Berries."

"Berries?" Tanis blinked, looking at the boy sitting across from her, then the bowl in front of her. "Oh. You mean the tadpole eyes."

"Tad...pole eyes?" He asked slowly, uncertain her heard that correctly.

"Yeah. They're really good." Elsa commented as she stuck a heaping spoonful into her mouth.

"I personally prefer powdered scorpion legs, but scorpions are out of season. These are nice too, though." Suki said, crunching through a few slices of toast. Lincoln looks back at his bowl. He hadn't counted on this, though realized in hindsight he should have expected it. Monster food was surely going to be different from human food.

'Well, when in Rome…' He thought, taking his spoon, scooping up a healthy helping of oats with tadpole eyes and put it in his mouth. He chewed it apprehensively at first, paused, the chewed it a little more. 'Hmmmm. A little salty….kinda squishy….but otherwise….not bad.' Tanis had been a little worried about him after how disturbed he looked about the tadpole eyes, but the moment a small smile came to his face, a smile returned to the little mummy.

"So, are you looking forward to your first day of classes, Lincoln?" Suki asked after she finished her own breakfast.

"Yeah, kinda." Lincoln responded, after swallowing. "Not sure what to expect from some of the classes, but I think that spellcraft class should be exciting."

"Eh. I don't really think so." Winnie said. "It's a lot of studying runes, practicing hand motions, reciting silly words…"

"Translation: she's not good with magic." Phanty commented, giggling her head off and getting a sneer from the werewolf.

"Yeah, well, you cause more explosions in potion and alchemy class than anyone else!" She retorted.

"Now, now. Settle down you two." Sibella said, standing up calmly.

"hehe. Ok. Ok. Sorry, Winnie." The spirited spirit said.

"Apology accepted." Winnie replied. "And sorry for snapping there."

"No worries, Winnie. I know I tend to blow stuff up when it comes to potions." Lincoln made a mental note not to sit by Phantasma in potions class, if for no other reason than his continued good health.

After an odd, but hearty breakfast, the girls and Lincoln made their way to Miss Grimwood's library for their first class: monster history. When they arrived, Milly was already there, along with Miss Grimwood. Lincoln noticed some slightly darker than usual rings around her eyes. He wanted to ask her if she were already, but the class was already starting. "Good morning, students. I'm sorry I wasn't there for breakfast. I'm afraid I had much to do this morning and lost track of time."

"It's ok, Miss Grimwood." Gila said, taking a seat nearest her.

"We all know you're very busy." Elsa added. The girls and Lincoln all took their seats, Lincoln courteously keeping away from Gila so's not to trigger her fears.

"Thank you. Now, today, we're going to be discussing a dark time in monster history, not to mention human history. The dark ages…" The headmistress explained, conjuring a chalkboard from seemingly nowhere. "Tanis, M-149, Winnie, this lesson could be quite disturbing for younger children like yourself...if you would rather leave and have a free period, I would understand wholeheartedly."

"Don't worry about me, Miss Grimwood. I can take it." Winnie said boldly.

"Martians like myself are made of tough stuff, headmistress." Milly said, trying to avoid sounding too offended.

"I'll be alright." Tanis said with a smile.

"If you're sure, girls….then let us begin." She then proceeded with the lesson about the brutal history of monster/human relations back during the dark ages: humans discriminating against monsters of all kinds, hunting witches and any human sympathetic to monster causes, and especially vicious wars between the two races. Most of the girls looked visible uncomfortable, Suki was a little pale, and Tanis was fearfully clinging to Lincoln's arm. The human lad was trying his best to comfort her, though he was a little shaken himself at the brutality of the conflicts. The only ones unaffected were Winnie (who was listening and taking notes) and Milly (who looked bored).

"So...the humans would turn on their own during these witch hunts? Typical of their inferior brains…." Milly commented with spite.

"Well, to be fair, Milly, witches and warlocks are impossible to spot among humans to anyone unfamiliar with the magical arts." Sibella interjected.

"Quite right." Miss Grimwood said with a small smile. "For example; Lincoln, do you think you could spot a witch?"

"Uh….no. My sister Lucy thinks she may be a witch, but I'm not sure." He admitted.

"Not even one right in front of you?" The woman before him asked with a slight grin.

"I suppose not...I don't think I ever met a real witch or warlock…." A realization came to Lincoln as he got her hint. "...until now."

"Hehehe. Yes, Lincoln, I am indeed a witch."

"And it only took an obvious hint applied with the force of a sledgehammer for him to get it." Milly mumbled with a snicker.

"Something you wish to share with the class, M-149?" Miss Grimwood asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone and face.

"Er….no, headmistress…" Milly muttered nervously.

"I thought not. Anyway, after the tragic battle of the Black Forest, the monsters decided it was time to go into hiding. The humans would never tolerate them in this era of fear and monster kind was enraged by them, so all hope of peaceful negotiation was lost. Only a few select ghosts dared even go near the humans, and that was merely for observation purposes. Fortunately, come the Renaissance, things will start to go better for both man and monster alike. But that will be have to wait for next lesson on Thursday. My apologies again if lesson caused any of you any significant discomfort…" She looks over at Tanis, who was starting to calm down, thanks to Lincoln.

"Feeling a little better?" He asked her in a whisper, gently petting her head. She nodded slightly.

"I...I didn't think she would go into such detail…." Tanis admitted. "It was such a terrible time…"

"Yeah...but those times are over now. These are the modern times. That kind of stuff just doesn't happen anymore."

"And thank goodness for that." Miss Grimwood said, walking over to them. "Both man and monster have become more civilized…" Milly scoffed lightly at that. "...and such archaic beliefs about monsters and witchcraft have become more scarce. But it is still important that we discuss these dark times. After all, forgetting the mistakes of history allow us to repeat those mistakes. Now, run along students. I will see you in a half hour for math. And be sure to read up on the chapter before Wednesday."

"Wait...there are textbooks?" Lincoln asked in confusion.

"Yes, but Miss Grimwood has them here in the library. We can pick them up at our leisure for homework and studying." Elsa explained, pointing toward one of the many bookshelves.

"Oh. Well, that's convenient." The boy from Royal Woods said, getting up from his seat. He steps aside to allow the other girls to leave before he made his way to the bookshelf, picking up one of the history books, thinking he could skim through it before the next class. He puts his nose right in the book as he walked along the hall, finding himself oddly fascinated; something he never thought would be possible. Perhaps it was because it was the history from the perspective of monster kind. He was so engrossed in the book that he was nearly late for his next class. Fortunately, he had run into a suit of armor while reading and it snapped him out of his literary journey, leaving him to need to run to class. Math class was no different than back in Royal Woods, but that was no shock to Lincoln. Mathematics were the same to him no matter where he learned it: pretty boring. The class seemed to go on forever, even though in reality, it only lasted about an hour and a half, like history class. After that class ended, Lincoln felt mentally exhausted. This was unfortunate for him, since the next class was physical education in the tower. Calisthenics, aerobics, pull ups and rope climbing: it was enough to wake Lincoln up mentally, but tired him physically after an hour.

"You feeling ok, Linc? You look beat." Winnie asked, noticing the human boy breathing heavily and barely able to stand.

"I...I guess so…." He responded between deep breaths.

"Little out of shape there?" She teased him with a grin.

"No…" he grumbled. 'A LOT out of shape.' He thought to himself.

"Don't feel bad, bud. Milly didn't do much better." She whispered, pointing back to the alien laying on her back on a gym mat, unable to even more.

"Curse these earth exercises…" she growled under her breath. "How can they put such a strain on my superior Martian physiology…?" The white haired Loud would probably have found this funny under normal circumstances, but he knew how she felt and didn't feel right laughing at her.

"Come on, Linc. I'll help you get to the locker rooms." Winnie said, offering him an arm and supporting him down to the bottom level of the tower. Miss Grimwood originally had only one locker room, but with Lincoln around, she needed to enchant a new one from a previously empty room.

"Thanks, Winnie."

"Anytime, pal. See ya at lunch." The little werewolf gave a sort of salute wave before she entered the girl's locker room, leaving Lincoln to stumble into the newly created room. After a nice hot shower, Lincoln had to admit he felt much better, if a little sore.

"Well, it's like Lynn says - no pain, no gain." He said to himself as he got dressed and made his way down to the dining room. The girls, minus Milly, were all already seated. Tanis spotted the young man and waved to him, patting the chair beside her. Lincoln smiled and started to walk over, but paused. Occupying the seat next to that was Gila, whose eyes locked onto him the moment he came in. He found himself with a quandary: if he sat next to the creature's daughter, she would probably have something similar to a panic attack. The young mummy looked between him and Gila, a thoughtful look on her face. Then, she had an idea. She moved over to the seat next to her, putting Tanis between the aquatic girl and the source of her fear. The white haired lad seemed satisfied with this, moving over to sit between Tanis and Sibella. Gila, on the other hand, still looked very uncomfortable having Lincoln so close.

"So, what do you think of Grimwood so far, Lincoln?" Sibella asked as the octopus butler carted out their lunch. "Not half bat, isn't it?"

"It is interesting." Lincoln said, smiling at the vampiress to his right. "A lot of the classes are pretty familiar, though I think monster history is more interesting than the history I learn back in Royal Woods. And it's incredible how much ground Miss Grimwood has covered in the time she has."

"It should get more interesting after lunch." Phantasma commented. "Spellcrafting classes happen on Monday."

"Really? Great! That's one of the classes I'm looking forward to the most." Lincoln admitted with an excited grin. "I don't think I'll be able to do much, but the chance to see some real magic...it's an opportunity of a lifetime." The seven girls around him couldn't help but find his excitement adorable, each of them giggling; even Gila kinda. Lunch that day was a bowl of soup; strips of some kind of leafy vegetable in a dark broth with what looked like chicken. Instead of asking what it was, Lincoln took a sip of the soup. He winced a bit at how bitter it was.

"Something wrong, Lincoln?" Suki asked, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

"The soup is kind of bitter." He said.

"Naturally. Swamp grass soup always is." Winnie explained, adding some pepper flakes to her soup. "Here. Try some of these. But be careful. A little goes a long way." Winnie passed the pepper grinder across the table to Lincoln. The human boy wasn't much of a fan of spicy things, but the bitterness was too much for him. He adds a few flakes to his piping hot soup, stirs it up and takes another sip.

"Whoa! That is spicy." He commented, taking a deep drink of water. Winnie, Phanty and Suki all laughed, while Sibella, Elsa, Tanis and even Gila giggled.

"Sorry Linc." The little werewolf wheezed, wiping a tear of laughter from her eyes. "I didn't realize you were so sensitive to spice." The white haired lad blushed as he continued to eat his soup. While the pepper was quite powerful, he did have to admit it did help balance the bitterness.

"The chicken is pretty good." Lincoln said as he sampled a chunk of the meat from the soup.

"You mean the rattlesnake?" Tanis asked.

"Rattlesnake? Huh. So it does taste like chicken…" He muttered to himself. As Lincoln was finishing his lunch, the floating hand he had seen around the house hovered over to the table, with a letter for him and Winnie. "Huh? What's this?" He wondered aloud, reading the letter.

 _Lincoln,_

 _I do hope you are enjoying your lunch. As soon as you are finished, kindly come to the library, please. With spellcrafting class coming soon, I would like to give you a brief introductory lesson in order to help bring you up to speed with the basics._

 _Signed_

 _Miss Grimwood._

'Hmmmm. An introductory lesson in magic? Probably a good idea.' He thought to himself, pocketing the letter with a smile. Winnie didn't seem at all pleased with what she was reading, growling as she put her letter away. It made him wonder what she had gotten in her letter, but knew it wasn't really his business. With his lunch finished, he bid his friends, as well as Suki and Gila, goodbye and started on his way to the library. To his surprise, he was soon joined by a surly looking werewolf girl. "Winnie? Where are you headed in that kind of mood?"

"Nowhere…." She grumbled. "Where are you going…?"

"Miss Grimwood asked me to meet her in the library. She wanted to give me an introductory lesson before spellcrafting class." He explained as he walked along.

"..that makes sense...wait..now!?" Now the little lycan looked worried.

"I guess so. Why?" He looked down at her and noticed her blush and her look of panic. "Is something wrong?"

"No! No. Everything is fine." She said hastily, a forced smile on her face.

"...you were asked to go to the library too, weren't you?" He asked calmly.

"What!? How did you..?" She started to say in shock, but quickly tried to regain her composure. "I mean...No. That's silly. You're silly."

"I may be silly, but I'm not dim." He said with a little smirk. "Between the letter, the fact you're going my way, and your reactions to my questions...it doesn't take Ace Savvy to see something is up." Winnie just huffed, looking away from him while blushing. "Come on, Winnie. You can tell me. I promise I won't judge."

"...I gotta take remedial magic lessons…." Winnie admitted begrudgingly. Lincoln's smirk changed to an expression of sympathy. He knew what taking remedial classes meant and could now understand why she was so cranky. "...you're not laughing?"

"Why would I?" He responded with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think it's especially funny." The young werewolf looked at him with surprise.

"Even after I laughed at you at lunch?" At that, Lincoln actually laughed a little.

"I live with ten sisters, my friend. I'm used to others poking fun at me." He told her. "My skin is thicker than that. But enough about me. If you're having trouble with spellcrafting, I could try and help you...though I dunno how much help I'll be."

"I appreciate it all the same, Linc." The humanoid canine said with a smile, patting him on the back. "Both the offer and you not laughing at me. And who knows? Maybe with two of us there, the class will be tolerable." The two friends proceeded on to the library in high spirits, Miss Grimwood waiting for them.

"Ah. Lincoln, Winnie. Thank you for coming so promptly, and my apologies for pulling you both from your lunch break."

"It's quite alright, Miss Grimwood. I wouldn't miss a magic lesson for anything less than near death, even an introductory lesson." Lincoln replied, looking as eager as he sounded.

"Love the enthusiasm, Lincoln." The middle aged headmistress said with a smile. "And Winnie...you seem in a slightly better mood than usual for these classes."

"I'm not thrilled with remedial classes, I admit...but with Lincoln here, maybe it'll be more fun than with...hey, where is Milly?" Winnie asked when she didn't see the little alien present.

"Unfortunately, Miss 149 has opted to drop the spellcrafting class altogether." Miss Grimwood replied, her smile fading.

"Why would she do that?" Lincoln asked in astonishment.

"One can only guess, Lincoln. However, it is her choice. One she felt so strongly about, she got her father involved...but I digress. Let us begin the lesson. In order to properly cast a spell, one or more of four key components are necessary. Winnie, can you name those key components?"

"Of course. There's verbal, or the magic words as they were. There's the physical component, the hand motions. There are material components, ingredients needed to power certain spells. And finally, there's the catalyst, a special component needed for certain powerful spells."

"Exactly. All known spells use one of more of these key components in order to cast properly, although some powerful witches and warlocks can forgo some components at a cost. Nevertheless, a mishandled ingredient, a misspoken word, a clumsy move, and it could have disastrous consequences, if any at all. Fortunately, the beginner level spells we will be learning in the upcoming lessons will be more forgiving than most." Lincoln raised his hand. "Yes, Lincoln?"

"If I may ask, where does the magic come from?" He asked. "I mean, from what my sister Lisa tells me, energy and matter doesn't just appear from nowhere, so…"

"Your sister is quite astute, and you are wise to pay attention to her when she says these things." Miss Grimwood said with a nod and a smile. "Magic is all around you, Lincoln Loud. In the air, the water, everywhere, including and especially within you."

"Really?" A surprised Lincoln inquired.

"Oh yes. All living beings on this Earth and beyond it have magic energy within them. And that means anyone is capable of learning to use magic, for spellcrafting is simply manipulating the magic within, the magic all around, and/or the magic within catalysts and ingredients to create a certain desired effect." Lincoln nodded as he listened. It sounded pretty simple to him, but he was willing to bet every comic he owned it wasn't anywhere near as easy as it sounded. The rest of the introductory lesson was spent with a few demonstrations of magic from Winnie, or attempted demonstrations. Her task was a simple one: change the color of a billiard ball. All it required was a simple wiggle of the fingers and for the young lady to focus on the color she wanted to change the ball into. However, Winnie seemed to be having some trouble with it.

"Come on….change…." Winnie muttered, starting to sweat a little after her seventh attempt.

"You can do it, Winnie." Lincoln said, momentarily getting the werewolf's attention. "Just take a breath, focus, and try again." She gives a weak smile at his words of encouragement, then took a deep breath and a moment to concentrate. Now a little calmer, she tries it again. A wiggle of her fingers and a few seconds, and the little green ball turned red.

"I did it!" She cheered, looking elated.

"Way to go Winnie." Lincoln said with a smile.

"Very well done, Winnie." Miss Grimwood smiled at her furred student. "Continue to practice that spell and you will find your spellcrafting improve, slowly but surely. Now, would you like to try before the class officially begins, Lincoln?"

"Couldn't hurt to try." The human boy said, stepping forward. He didn't have much hope of getting any kind of reaction, but it could be fun to try. However, before he could, he could hear the other students arriving early for the class. The headmistress and her werewolf student went over to speak with them, leaving Lincoln with the billiard ball. He glances back at them for a moment, then at the ball. He held his hand over it and wiggled his fingers a bit the way he saw Winnie do it, thinking of the color orange. A couple seconds had passed and nothing happened. 'Pretty much as I thought.' He thought to himself.

"Lincoln, be a dear and put the ball away."

"Ok, Miss Grimwood." Lincoln replied, putting the ball into a little box by their dark haired teacher's chair, not noticing as it changed orange upon dropping it.

"Thank you, dear." She directed Lincoln to join his fellow classmates. He noticed that Sibella wasn't with them.

"Where's Sibella?" Lincoln inquired.

"She's in a slightly more advanced spellcrafting class." Elsa explained. "She's very talented with magic."

'I can imagine, if it's a hobby of hers.' He thought.

"Now, students, today we were learn a few useful alteration spells: spells to make changes in inanimate objects. We'll start with size alteration, which will allow you to make the desired item shrink or grow to the desired size. Allow me to demonstrate. Watch carefully now." She pulled a pencil from her pocket and set it on the floor in front of her. She took two stepped back and raised her hand up to face level. She gave her finger a twirl, then forcefully pointed at the pencil as she declared "Incantorum!" Within seconds, the pencil grew to the size of a sword.

"Whoa!" Lincoln jumped back, staring in amazement at the now oversized pencil. "That is impressive."

"It's nothing, really." Miss Grimwood replied. "Now, who would like to give this spell a try?" Tanis, Gila, and Phantasma all immediately raised their hands. Lincoln had thought about it, but seeing as how he didn't even change the color of the pool ball, he doubted he could make anything grow or shrink. "Lincoln. Since your practice was interrupted before, perhaps this would be a prime opportunity for you to try your hand at magic."

"Huh? Oh, well...certainly, Miss Grimwood." He said a little shakily. He stepped forward, beside the giant sized pencil.

"Now, before we try with the incantation, practice the hand movements. Twirl, then thrust." She explained, as Lincoln did as she instructed. He practiced the movements for the casting, with Miss Grimwood offering little pointers here and there. The other students watched intently, taking notes as she gave the young lad advice. After making him practice the movements for nearly a dozen times, she nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Now, cast the spell, Lincoln."

"Right. Ahem...Incantorum." He said, performing the twirl and thrust motion with his finger. Nothing happened to the pencil. "...did I say it wrong?"

"No dear, but you need to put more feeling into your incantation. Try it again, with spirit."

"Right." He cleared his throat and tried it again. "Incantorum!" He, his classmates and their teacher all gazed at the pencil, but nothing appeared to be happening. He slowly lowered his finger, looking disappointed.

"Don't feel bad, Lincoln. No one successfully casts spell on the first day." Elsa reassured him, stepping forward to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The others nodded in agreement. Tanis looked down at the pencil, right as it started to shrink a little.

"Hey! Look!" She cried, getting everyone's attention. They all just barely noticed as the pencil shrank down, if only a little bit.

"I...I did it?" Lincoln asked in amazement.

"You did! I knew you could!" Winnie cheered, running over to high five her friend.

"But...why did it take so long to take effect?"

"That is only natural, Lincoln." Miss Grimwood said with a warm smile. "You are a human who hasn't used his innate magical abilities since the day he was born. It will take some time and plenty of practice before it can fully awaken. But even that at this level, for a human, that shows great promise young man."

"It does?"

"It does. You have significant potential, Lincoln Loud. What you choose to do with that potential...we shall see. Now, who else wants a go?" Over the next couple minutes, each of the girls took their try at the spell. Tanis managed to shrink the pencil back to its original size, Winnie (riding on her confidence boost from earlier) managed to make it grow a little, as did Gila, Elsa succeeded in shrinking it a little, and Phanty put a little too much oomph in her spell and caused the pencil to grow as long as a battering ram.

"Oops. Sorry." She said, giggling at her own mishap.

"It's quite alright, Phantasma. It happens." Miss Grimwood replied dismissively, shrinking the pencil back down. "It seems you all have the spell down. Excellent. Let us try a few more alteration spells." For the remainder of the lesson, Lincoln and the ghoul girls learned a spell of repair, a tearing hex, and a scrubbing spell. However, they didn't have the time to practice the scrubbing spell in class, so that was their spellcrafting homework. Lincoln started to notice that he was feeling pretty tired after the class; like physically exhausted.

"Does spell casting always take this much out of you?" Lincoln asked Phantasma as the class came a close.

"It can." She replied. "Especially on someone not used to it. It could be like an intense workout. Using too much magic can even hurt."

"Yikes. Thanks for the warning. I'll try not to push myself too hard."

"Good idea, Linky. We wouldn't want to see you hurt, or worse, end up like me."

"I'd like to avoid that happening too...though being a ghost may not be so bad if I can keep hanging out with you and the others." Phantasma giggles again, a soft blush on her cheeks. "So, what's next?"

"Science class, my favorite class." Elsa interjected. "But it's not till tonight. We're expecting a big thunderstorm tonight."

"So until then...we have free time?"

"We sure do. I'm going to head outside for a run." Winnie said, heading for the front door, the other girls heading off to do their own thing.

"Hmmm. Going outside sounds nice." Lincoln said out loud to himself. "Maybe I can read my book or practice a little magic."

"Well, have fun. I'm going downstairs to practice my harpsichord."

"Ok. See you later Phanty." He waved as the spectral girl phased through the floor. He stepped outside and took a good around. It was so dark and rainy when he arrived, he never noticed the wall around the school, nor the iron gates flanked by gargoyles. He had to admit that the grounds looked less spooky in the day time...though not by much. He noticed a mostly dead garden over by one side of the school, complete with large hedges acting as a barrier between Grimwood and the neighboring building. He spotted Sibella parked underneath a dead weeping willow reading and walked over to her. "Hello, Sibella."

"Good afternoon, Lincoln. Finished spellcrafting class? How was it?"

"Yeah. And it was incredible. I look forward to learning more about magic." He said, smiling to her.

"Fang-tastic. I had a feeling you would really enjoy it." She smiled at him in return.

"With class over, I thought I would get a little air and read a little. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. Be my guest, Lincoln." The white haired boy nodded as he took a seat under the tree, almost next to her, pulling out the history book and quietly reading from where he left off before. The two of them sat engrossed in their books for several minutes, enjoying the day and their reading. However, every so often, Lincoln glanced to one side to look at the vampiress beside him. These looks started out brief, but soon, he ended up looking at her for nearly a minute before hastily looking away, hoping she didn't see. What he didn't know was she had taken a few peeks in his direction too. Naturally, at one point, the two looked at the same time. When their eyes met, he blushed and buried his nose back into his book, while Sibella simply giggled. He kept his focus on the tome before him for the next several minutes until he heard something shouted from the direction of the large hedge wall.

"All the way with Calloway!"


	4. Chapter 4: Zanya's First Day

Zanya's first day

Early morning in the Loud House. As usual, it was chaotic. With ten kids needing to get ready for school and one baby for daycare, the line for the bathroom was always a long one. Being at the back of the line would usually be a point of annoyance for many. This time, however, it suited Lisa quite well. Why? Because their guest, Zanya, was right in front of her in line. This was an opportune time for the little scientist to make inquiries regarding the zombie girl's existence. "So, if I understand you correctly…" Lisa started, as she finished taking a tissue sample from her. "...should one of your appendages become separated from your person, you can still feel what happens to the appendage as if it were still connected?"

"I...think that sounds about right." Zanya replied, holding her arm out so Lisa could attempt to get a blood sample. Attempt being the key word, since she didn't have any blood. Instead, it was some kind of bright green ooze. Lola, who was watching from near the front, turned a little green herself at the sight, looking away.

"Ugh….disgusting." she grumbled, fighting back the feeling of nausea.

"You say something, sis?" Luna asked from right behind Lola.

"I said she is disgusting…" she whispered "...that zombie…"

"What? Nah, Lo. She's cool." Luna said quietly.

"She's a walking disease vector! Whatever a vector is…" she snapped as quietly as she could.

"Listen Lola...just because she's one of the grateful dead doesn't mean she's riding dirty."

"That's exactly what it means...and I bet Lisa will say so too after she finishes testing those samples she took." Luna sighed in defeat, realizing she wouldn't convince the prissy little girl otherwise herself. She hoped Lisa's tests could possibly prove Zanya was alright. The line soon started to move, Lisa briefly abandoning her place to put her samples into storage. As soon as Zanya finished with her shower and emerged from the bathroom, Leni peeked out of her room.

"Zanya. Could you, like, come in here a second?"

"Huh? Oh. Sure thing, Leni." The ghoul girl wondered what the ditzy Loud wanted, stepping into her and Lori's room. Leni was smiling brightly, while Lori was putting her shoes on while texting.

"I thought you would totes want to make a good first impression at school, so I thought a new dress would really do the trick. And I have just the thing.."

"Oh...that's rather nice of you, Leni, but…" Before she could finish her thought, Leni quickly swapped her robe for a soft yellow dress, white socks, brand new black shoes, and a teal hair bow in her unkept hair. She had changed her so fast, it was almost blink and you miss it. "Leni! I said….." she was about to scold her, but then looked at herself in the mirror. "...hey, this does look nice."

"Thanks." Leni replied with a big smile. "I made the dress myself."

"Really? You shouldn't have Leni."

"Awwww, it was nothing. I made it a while ago for Lynn, but she...isn't really the dress kind. But I thought the color went well with your skin tone and you're about her size...maybe a hair shorter...so maybe you would like it."

"Thank you very much." Zanya gave the second oldest Loud a big hug.

"You're welcome, Zanya." Leni returned the hug, but then looks the zombie girl over with a critical eye. "Hmmmm. We should do something about your hair before you go to school. It's a little messy. Lori, could you help up a moment?" The eldest sister looked up at them, blinking when she saw their guest from Grimwood.

"Er….I….uh…" Lori's eyes darted around quickly, looking for an excuse to not get involved. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't think of anything. "Uh….sure Leni." Lori put her phone down and cautiously moved over to Leni's bed, where the fashionista had sat Zanya down. She handed Lori a hair brush and started brushing her hair. The phone fancier took hold of the brush with a shaky hand, hesitating to even touch the zombie's hair. She had imagined that her hair was all wirey and loose, like brushing steel wool. And if her head came off while she was brushing… "Your...head isn't going to come off, is it?"

"Nope. I secured it this morning." She reassured her, tilting her head and showing her the extra medical staples around her neck.

"...good to know." Lori said, though she felt a little nauseated by the sight. She had no idea how Leni could be so calm, casually brushing a zombie's hair like it were no big deal. She bit her lip and carefully stroked Zanya's hair with the brush. To her surprise, the brush flowed right through her hair smooth and easy. Her locks were quite soft and manageable, though not as much as any of the Loud sisters. "Huh...her hair is much softer than I thought…" Lori thought out loud as she brushed.

"Thanks. I do try and wash it every day with my own special shampoo." Zanya said with a smile, causing Lori to blink. She accidently said that out loud?

"Ooh! What's in it?" Leni asked excitedly.

"Well, a little swamp algae for vitamin enrichment, crushed centipede carapaces for strengthening and revitalization, a few drops of moccasin venom, good for the scalp, and finally some foxglove leaves for a herbal scent." The corpse children explained, leaving the two Loud teens surprised and speechless.

"I'll take your word for it…" Lori said finally, though a part of her was also thinking 'if that does this for a zombie's hair….I wonder what it could do for mine?'

"There we go." Leni said as she held a mirror in front of Zanya, letting her see her now neat and straight hair.

"Hmmmm. I'll miss my old do, but this does look great. Thanks. Both of you." Zanya hugged the two of them, Lori cringing a bit. Fortunately, Leni didn't see her.

"We...better get ready quick. We don't want to be late." Lori said hastily, hoping to get out of the hug quicker.

"Oh! You're right! Come on, Zanya. We gotta get some breakfast, then get to the car." The second oldest sister grabbed their guest by the hand and ran out of the room. Lori breathed a sigh of relief as she grabbed her phone and backpack. She looked at her phone screen for a moment, though she wasn't really seeing it; she was too deep in thought. She wasn't really sure why she was so uneasy around Zanya. Yeah, she was a legit zombie, but she was a far cry from what she knew about the undead from media. In fact, she wasn't really all that different from her own sisters. So why does the thought of being near her make her so uncomfortable? Lori sighed and pocketed her phone before heading downstairs into the early morning school prep chaos.

Vanzilla skidded to a stop right in front of Royal Woods Elementary, two doors on the side flying open as five children came pouring out: Lola, Lana, Lisa, Lucy and Zanya. "Have a good day you guys!" Lori shouted before she drove off in a hurry.

"You too!" Lana and Zanya shouted in return. Lola took the opportunity to slip into the school to avoid being seen around the ghoul girl. Lisa, not wishing to be marked tardy, also hurried inside. The two Louds and Zanya were some of the last students to enter the school. Right inside the door, they could see Principal Huggins standing outside his office, looking kinda on edge. His eyes were practically scanning each student as they came in until his eyes fell onto the Grimwood girl.

"You there. Miss." Lucy, Lana and Zanya all stopped and look toward him in confusion. "Not you, Louds. The young lady with you. Come here." Curious, the zombie girl walked over to him while he motions the Loud sisters to keep moving. "You're the exchange student from Grimwood, I presume?"

"Yes, sir. I'm Zanya." She answered, looking up at him.

"Principal Huggins, principal of Royal Woods Elementary. Would you be so kind as to come with me, Miss Zanya. I'd like to speak with you for a moment before classes start." The thin, balding man opened the door behind him and led the zombie girl across the reception area and into his office. He moved around behind his desk, while Zanya took a seat in front of it. "Now, first off, I'd like to welcome you to our humble little school."

"Why, thank you, Mr Huggins." The corpse girl said with a bright smile.

"Miss Grimwood has already sent me a copy of your personal record, including information pertaining to your 'medical issue', as well as your being…er…" Mr Huggins looked a little nervous as he looked through the file on her desk.

"A zombie?"

"...if that is what you prefer, yes." He said, though he still looked visibly uncomfortable. "I have informed the staff of this as well, but the student body is yet unaware…."

"That's just fine." Zanya shrugged her shoulders in a casual way. "I can tell them myself."

"Actually, I was hoping you would refrain from that, Miss Zanya…"

"Huh?" The zombie girl looked a little confused at this.

"You have to understand, Miss Zanya...children like yourself are uncommon here. The other children may not understand...they may even be afraid or even become hostile. I simply don't wish any trouble, least of all toward you." He explained, looking to her with a look of concern.

"...I think I understand, Mr Huggins." Zanya replied, standing up. "But they're going to find out eventually...wouldn't it be better to tell them right off the bat?"

"With any luck, as long as you don't tell them, they'll never find out. Now, I want you to promise me you won't tell anyone about your being a zombie…"

"But…"

"Promise me!" He shouted, slamming his hands against his desk, making Zanya jump.

"...yes sir…" She responded sadly in defeat.

"Good girl." Principal Huggins said, returning to his original attitude in an instant. "I'm glad we can come to an understanding, young lady. Now, run along to class." He motioned her toward the door, to which the saddened zombie child left slowly. Pleased with the end result, Principal Huggins returned to his work calm as you please.

It took Zanya a few minutes to find her classroom, even though the late bell had already rang and the halls were empty. Fortunately, Miss Johnson had peeked out into the hall, wondering where their guest from Grimwood was. "Excuse me. Can you direct me to Miss Johnson's class?" The ghoul gal asked her when she spotted her.

"Oh. You must be Zanya. You found it, dear." The middle aged redhead said with a smile, stepping out of the room.

"Sorry I'm late, ma'am. The principal wanted to talk to me first." Zanya apologized.

"I imagined as much. I suspect he spoke to you about…"

"Yes….and he made me promise not to say anything about it…" Zanya looked down at the ground, clearly upset about it. Lincoln's teacher noticed her expression and knelt down to her level.

"Zanya, I know it sounds unfair to ask you to lie to the other students…" She started in a whisper. "...but it's for your own good." She then muttered in her breath, "...and to cover his own hide."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, dear. If it were up to me, I would say you could tell...at least students you felt you could trust...but Principal Huggins is the boss."

"I know...I just wish it didn't have to be this way…" Zanya sighed, shaking her head a bit.

"...do you need a moment before we introduce you to the class?" Miss Johnson asked softly.

"No..no. I'll be alright." She replied, taking a breath and putting on a little smile. The teacher nodded, turning and stepping into the room first.

"Children, allow me to introduce you to our special guest and your new classmate for a few months. Our exchange student from Miss Grimwood's Finishing School, Miss Zanya." The zombie girl adjusted the collar of her dress to cover the staples on her neck before she stepped into the classroom. She was astounded to see so many children in one room, having been used to only having eight other students in her classes.

"Um….hello everyone." She said, feeling a little self conscious. There was a general murmur of polite greeting from the class.

"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Zanya?" Miss Johnson encouraged her, patting her on the shoulder.

"Well...my name is Zanya. I recently turned eleven, my favorite color is dark green, my favorite games include soccer, volleyball, hide and freak…"

"Hide and Freak?" Rusty asked, looking confused.

"It's like hide and seek, only the hiders have to try and scare the seeker before they are found." She elaborated.

"Sounds like a hoot. Maybe we oughta try it." Liam whispers to Lincoln's small circle of friends.

"...and my Daddy is a private eye."

"A detective? How exciting." Miss Johnson said. She was about to ask if he was a single father, but she thought he was probably a zombie too. 'Then again, with the guys I've dated before….might be an improvement.' she thought.

"Oh, and I have a condition where I need to eat frequently. Like, every hour or so, maybe less if I'm really active."

"Yes, Principal Huggins warned me about that." Miss Johnson said. "I normally discourage eating in class, but if you really need to, Zanya, just try and do it quietly." Zanya nodded as she popped a bite sized peanut butter cup into her mouth.

"I'll try, Miss Johnson."

"Thank you. Now, why don't you have a seat, so we can begin?" The zombie girl nodded and walked over to the empty seat that used to be Lincoln's, right next to Clyde, Zach and Rusty.

"Hey there. I'm Clyde." He whispered as soon as soon as the teacher turned her back.

"Nice to meet you, Clyde." She whispered back.

"Howdy, ah'm Liam." The small boy with the bowl cut orange hair said quietly.

"And I'm Zach." The red headed boy behind her whispered into her ear.

"Yo. I'm Rusty, ladies man extraordinaire." The tall, frizzy haired carrot top in front of her said in a low, faux sauve voice, giving her the finger gun with a click of his tongue. Zanya had a hard time stifling her giggles. Something about Rusty's confidence she found somewhat cute. Before they could say anything further, Miss Johnson turned back to the class, so they had to look like they were going to pay attention. As they started their first lesson of the day, social studies, Zanya noticed a few things about the class. Not all the students were paying attention to the lesson. A few were chatting quietly, a few focused on their phones, a few even sleeping in class. Miss Grimwood would never let this slide. Then again, there were a lot more students here than at the finishing school. It would be very difficult to focus on so many children at once, especially for one teacher. That said, Miss Johnson did reprimand a few of the sleeping students, but just as many got off scot free. After their first class, they were all escorted down to the gymnasium, where Coach Pacowski was waiting for them.

"Ok, kids. Today, we're gonna play everyone's favorite game." He stated, looking at the line of children before him.

"Parcheesi?" Liam asked, getting laughs from most his fellow students and the coach.

"That gets funnier every time you say it." He replied, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye.

"Can't blame a guy fer trying…" Liam muttered.

"No. Dodgeball!" A few of the students groaned, but some, especially Girl Jordan, cheered. "But first...which one of you is Zanya."

"Here, sir." She answered, raising her hand.

"You're sitting this one out." He instructed.

"What!?" Most of the kids exclaimed, Zanya included.

"Why!?" The zombie girl added, clearly upset.

"Principal Huggins' orders, kid. Because of your condition, you can't play these kinda sports." The coach explained.

"Because she needs to snack so much? I don't see how that can prevent…" Clyde started to say.

"Like I said, I'm just following orders. If he says you're out, then that's all there is to it."

"But that's not fair…" Zanya complained.

"If you have an issue, then talk to the principal. My hands are tied here." The coach said. "The rest of you, pick sides." Zanya frowns as her new classmates split into two teams and she was pretty much forced to the side.

"This is ridiculous…" she grumbled as she watched them prepare to play. "I can kind of understand wanting to keep it secret...but banning me from playing sports because of it? That is just…..ugh…" She sighed, figuring she could air her grievances with the principal after gym class, but for the time being, all she could do was sit there. Lincoln's friends immediately went into their snake formation, but Clyde was too focused on the upset Grimwood girl sitting all by her lonesome. He wasn't the only one either. Girl Jordan, who was usually the MVP on a dodgeball team, didn't have the heart to really play after what happened. By the end of it, no one was really playing; more half heartedly throwing the ball to the other side of the field, and Coach Pacowski didn't like this at all.

"What was that?" He shouted, personally offended by this lackluster performance. "I've seen more energy at the retirement home!"

"Sorry, coach." Clyde said. "But dodgeball isn't much fun unless everyone gets to play." There was a general murmur of agreement from most of their classmates as they all departed for the locker rooms, leaving the furious coach behind.

Back in Miss Johnson's classroom for literature class, the students were tasked with reading 'The Three Musketeers' in and out of class and write a book report about it. Unfortunately, there weren't enough books to hand out to all the students. Fortunately, the school did have a decently stocked library. Zanya volunteered to be the one to go to the library, as she wanted to see more of the school and she was hoping a little walk would help her mood after what happened at gym. Meanwhile, in the hall, a young man with messy brown hair, a green shirt and jeans was leaning against the lockers a little way away from his classroom. He had told his teacher he needed to use the bathroom, but in reality, he just wanted to avoid a particularly boring part of the class. He did this pretty often, but he had friends in the class who could give him the abridged version of what he missed, so his grades rarely ever suffered from it. Granted, he had nothing to do in the hall, but it was still less boring than sitting through that lecture. He looked up the corridor for something to distract him, and he spotted Zanya. His eyes widened as he watched her approach, almost in slow motion. He never saw this pale young lady before, but he found himself instantly fascinated. Sporting a confident grin, he made his made his move. "Hey."

"Huh? Oh, hello." Zanya replied.

"Names Chandler. What's your name, cutie?" The Grimwood girl blushed a little bit.

"I'm Zanya."

"Never seen you around before. New to the school?" He asked, straightening up.

"Yes, actually. I'm the exchange student from Miss Grimwood's." She explained. "In fact, I think I got lost again...am I heading the right way to the library?"

"You're not far off. Just hang a left at that next intersection and keep right on going. It's the big green doors at the end." He told her, pointing down the hall.

"Thank you so much."

"For a pretty little thing like you? Anytime." Chandler flashed her a winning smile, making the zombie girl blush even more. "See ya around sometime?"

"S...sure. See you around." She replied with a shy smile, moving on down the hall with the boy watching her as she left. "Well, at least the other kids are friendly." She muttered to herself. "Maybe this won't be so bad." Following Chandler's directions, she found herself right in the library. It was nowhere near as big as Miss Grimwood's library, but it was brighter and cleaner. Very clean in fact. Too clean. The school librarian, a tall, lean woman with bright yellow hair and a slightly pointed nose, was reading a newspapermat her desk when Zanya had arrived. She was wearing a well pressed woman's suit, flats and a flu mask over her face. Over in the corner of the library, unnoticed by many, Lucy was enjoying a book of Poe stories. "Hello. Do you have a copy of 'The Three Musketeers'?"

"Hello, young lady. Do you have a library card?" The librarian asked in a soft, quiet voice.

"Not yet. I'm new to the school. My name is Zanya." She said, placing her hand on the end of the librarian's desk. The woman flinched and went pale when Zanya introduced herself, which the little zombie girl noticed.

"I see...the exchange student...I heard about you." She said as she pulled several tissues from her desk and used the wad to push her fingers off the desk. "I'm sorry. I cannot help you."

"You don't have the book?" Zanya asked, Lucy looking up from her own book as she heard her voice.

"We have the book, but….I keep a very clean library here, Miss Zanya."

"What does that have to do with me checking out a book?"

"Everything, young lady." The librarian glanced in both directions to make sure no students were around before she said, "I am well aware of the fact that you are a zombie. A living dead body. Dead bodies are covered in horrible germs and bacteria. Germs and bacteria that I don't want on my precious books." Zanya's mouth hung open in shock and outrage. "Now, kindly leave and don't return…"

"Seriously…?" She said quietly, then she shouted, "Seriously!?"

"This is a library. I asked you nicely once. Now I'm telling you. Leave now or I will have you sent to the Principal's office." Zanya's eyes filled with tears as she stormed out of the library, leaving the librarian to begin a new cleaning regiment in order to cleanse her desk and rug of the corpse germs she thought Zanya left behind. As she worked, she started to shiver a little. She thought the air conditioning had kicked in, but the true cause was from the icy glare of Lucy Loud. The distraught young ghoul lady didn't immediately return to class, but instead took refuge in one of the girls bathrooms along the way. Once inside, she instantly slumped in a corner and started crying her eyes out, almost literally. What she didn't know was that there was someone else in the restroom. Stella emerged from one of the stalls when she heard the sobbing, noticing the girl in the corner.

"Hey...are you alright Zanya?" She asked with concern, kneeling in front of her. Zanya sniffled and coughed a few times as she tried to stop crying long enough to speak.

"I..was just in the library…" she sobbed. "...I just needed a book...but the librarian called me filthy and forced me to leave and told me not to come back…" It wasn't necessarily the full truth, but she couldn't tell the full truth without breaking the promise she was forced to make with Principal Huggins.

"Miss Dorreen? Yeah, she is a piece of work, isn't she..?" Stella said derisively. "Nearly banned Clyde for life for almost sneezing in her library. She's kind of a germaphobe."

"I noticed…"

"It's still not right that she turns you away like that...especially if you need that book." Stella said with a frown. "I could go get it for you and then we can go to the principal about it, if you want."

"I already took care of that." Lucy said, startling Stella and Zanya, the latter jumping into the former's arms.

"How did you do that?" Stella asked with a trembly voice.

"You weren't paying attention." Lucy explained. "I have your book, Zanya."

"You do? Thank you, Lucy." She said, climbing out of Stella's arms. "Nice scare, by the way."

"You're welcome and thanks." She replied with a small smile.

"Lucy? As in Lucy Loud?" Stella asked. "I know your brother."

"You must be Stella. A pleasure." Lucy said in her usual monotone, shaking her hand. "I better get a move on. Recess is almost over. I'll give you the book at home Zanya, just in case Miss Dorreen is watching from somewhere."

"Thanks again." Lucy nodded lightly before she exited the bathroom.

"Well, that takes care of that...but you should still go see the principal." Stella suggested. "Because that's just not fair."

"He may be part of the problem…" Zanya muttered under her breath. The taller, raven haired girl looked at her a little strangely.

"What was that?"

"Nevermind...thank you for caring enough to offer to help me." Zanya said with a small smile.

"Anytime. I'm Stella, by the way."

"Pleased to meet you...you're in my class, aren't you?"

"Hehe. Yep. And speaking of, we better get back." Stella offered her a hand up, which the zombie girl took, getting to her feet with her help. When they returned to class, Zanya explained to Miss Johnson what had happened in a whisper. To say she was outraged was an understatement. She was positively livid. So much so she wanted to march with Zanya right to the Principal's Office to complain...but she couldn't, since she had no one to watch the class. The girl from Grimwood calmed her by saying she was already planning to see him after school for another issue from earlier, so she would voice her grievance then too. In the meantime, she had a copy of the book at home, thanks to Lucy, and Clyde was more than happy to share with Zanya for in class. The rest of literature class and math class were uneventful, though even more children seemed to sleep through math. Finally, it was time for lunch. Along with her snack supplies, Zanya had brought her own lunch with her, so she was able to sit with her new friends almost instantly.

"So, what's for lunch?" Clyde asked as he set his lunch box down.

"My favorite. Peanut butter sandwiches." She replied, pulling out a few sandwiches from her backpack.

"Trade one fer a BLT?" Liam asked, offering her his own sandwich.

"Maybe another time, thanks." She replied.

"How about a few peanut butter cups for a bag of carrots sticks?" Stella offered as she joined them at their table.

"Sold. I ate the last of mine during gym." Zanya replied, trading some chocolatey treats for some carrot sticks.

"I still don't get why Principal Huggins would instruct the coach not to let you play." Zach said, eating the salsbury steak he bought from the lunch line...or at least he hoped that's what it was.

"Tell me about it." Girl Jordan said as she joined them, surprising the male members of Lincoln's inner circle. She never joined them at lunch time. "And what'd he mean by your condition? I doubt he was talking about your need to snack…"

"That's what I said." Clyde interjected.

"Is there something you're not telling us, Zanya?" Rusty asked, noticing the sad look on her face.

"More like something I'm not allowed to tell…" she mumbled, taking a half hearted bite from her sandwich, her head resting on her hand.

"Not allowed to tell?" Her friends all looked at one another. What could that possibly mean? "It can't be that bad, can it?" Jordan asked.

"Principal Huggins feels it is…" She groaned.

"Intrigue…." Rusty muttered, rubbing his chin.

"Hey losers...and Girl Jordan." Came a horribly snobbish voice from behind them. Everyone but Zanya turned to see a tall, bleach blonde girl wearing a designer pink jacket with black stretch pants, and silver sneakers. She had black eyeshadow, blush and crimson lipstick on her face

"Malora Lesrec…." Girl Jordan replied curtly. Malora's eyes turned to Zanya, who wasn't paying her any mind, whereas everyone else at the table was either scared of her or glaring at her.

"And who might this be?" She asked, circling the table to step in front of Zanya's field of vision.

"Name's Zanya…" She replied, glancing up at the girl who was clearly judging her.

"Pale as anything….ratty hair…" she started to list off, pulling a bit on Zanya's locks until Jordan stood up. "..passable clothes...if only barely."

"If there's a point, get to it." Stella said.

"...did I say I was talking to you?" Malora replied with venom in her voice, not even looking at Stella. "As I was saying, you look like a loser to me….but there may be hope for you." When Zanya didn't reply, she continued. "I have decided, out of the kindness of my heart, to allow you the golden opportunity to associate yourself with the likes of moi, Malora Lesrec." More silence from the zombie girl, annoying the blonde before her. "...don't you ignore me…."

"I'm not interested." Zanya finally said in a deadpan voice Lucy would be proud of after she swallowed her latest bite of peanut butter.

"Ex….cuse me?" Malora asked in stunned disbelief.

"I said I'm not interested." She repeated herself. "Thank you for your time, but we'd like to finish enjoying our lunch."

"Hmph. Fine. You wouldn't have made a worthy associate anyway. Go on and enjoy your lunch, porky." She spat at Zanya, who looked like she could really care less about Malora's disapproval and her insult. Naturally, this made her even angrier as she stormed off.

"Hmph. Porky. She's thinner than you are, brat…" Girl Jordan muttered.

"So, who exactly was that?" The corpse child asked.

"Malora Lesrec. One of the popular girls of our grade. Her parents are in the movie business, and they like to star their 'little princess' in the starring role whenever they can." Girl Jordan explained.

"She's as mean as a rattler, but because she's famous and looks purty, she pretty much gets everythin' she wants." Liam continued.

"So avoid her at all costs. Got it." Zanya said. 'i have enough problems without someone like her on my case.' The rest of lunch was quieter and more enjoyable, with the melancholy ghoul gal cheering up a little as the boys related some of the hijinx they used to get into with Lincoln. They were being escorted outside for recess when a hand on Zanya's shoulder. She turned to see Principal Huggins, who was shaking his head at her. "What? I'm not allowed to go to recess either?"

"It's for the best, Zanya. We can't be too careful…"

"And why is that?" Stella asked, standing before the two of them, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Why exactly are you keeping Zanya from gym, recess and the library?" Zach asked, him and his friends looking as disapproving as Stella.

"That is no concern of yours, children. Now run along." He said as he pulled Zanya away from the door to the playground, the zombie girl struggling all the way.

"Something's more rotten here than last week's lunch…." Rusty commented with a frown.

"Zanya can't be that fragile, if she's living with the Louds." Clyde added.

"Principal Huggins is hiding something...and I plan to find out what." Girl Jordan said, slamming her fist into her hand with determination.

Meanwhile, inside the school, Zanya was directed to an empty classroom by the principal, though she was not happy about it. "Principal Huggins, this is beyond unfair." She said, finally putting her foot down. "I can understand wanting me to keep being a zombie a secret. I really can, even if I don't like it. But keeping me from participating in gym class and recess!?"

"I can't take the chance, Zanya. One false more and you could lose an arm, leg or a head and the jig is up."

"Seriously!? That's your concern!?" Zanya shouted, pulling down her collar to show him the staples on her neck. "Take a good look! That's well secured. Unless I want it to come off, it's not coming off."

"You don't know that, Zanya." The balding principal retorted, his own irritation building.

"I know that for a fact! I've been hit in the face with a volleyball with these in place, hit by a friend who's much stronger than I am. And it stayed put!" She slammed one of her hands on a nearby desk. "And what about the library!? The librarian banned me because I'm a zombie and apparently that makes me filthy!" The principal's eyes widen in surprise.

"This is the first I heard of this….I suppose I should have expected that...I will speak with her personally about this. But it should serve to prove my point as to why you should keep your secret. This sort of thing could be happening to you from your classmates."

"Because it's so much better to be treated this way by grown ups…"

"You'll thank me for this someday." He said as he left her in the room to spend her recess. Zanya growled in anger, shoving string cheese into her mouth as she paced about. She was ranting quietly to herself when she heard the door opened and saw Girl Jordan sneak in.

"Jordan? What are you doing in here?"

"Trying to get some answers." She whispered in reply. "None of this is making any sense to me. Why would Huggins want you to stay out of gym and recess? What is this condition coach was talking about? And what's all this about you not being allowed in the library either? Why are you being singled out like this?"

"...all those questions have the same answer…and I'm forbidden from giving an answer." Zanya replied with a furious sigh. "He says it's for my own good…"

"For your own good? How can any of this be for anyone's good?" Girl Jordan argued.

"I agree, but there's nothing I can do right now…" Zanya sits down in a chair behind the desk she smacked. "I have half a mind to write to Miss Grimwood about this…"

"Then maybe you should." Girl Jordan said, pulling a chair over to sit by her. "And tell Lincoln's parents too. I bet they'll be able to do something."

"I don't know...this isn't like another kid picking on me or anything...this is the principal…I don't know what Mr and Mrs Loud can do." And in her mind, she was almost afraid of what Miss Grimwood would do. She was not one you want to make angry, and she would no doubt not like hearing what was going on.

"You never know until you try. It beats doing nothing and letting him get away with it."

"...you're right, Jordan. Thanks." Zanya gave her a weak smile.

"What're friend for?" She replied, giving her a smile in return. "I'll see you back in class. Oh..and I don't think he said you had to stay in here for all of recess."

"No...but where am I going to go? I'm not allowed in the library, and I don't think getting caught in the hall without reason will help my cause."

"...good point. Speaking of, I better go before the hall monitors come back around again." She peeks outside the room for a moment before she made her move, slipping out of the room. Zanya was left all by herself for the duration of recess, alone with her thoughts and her snacks. When Miss Johnson (who wasn't any happier when she heard about what happened) came to bring her to class, she had opted to work on some of the homework that had been assigned already. The final lesson of the day was science, where they were studying inertia using springs and little wooden cars. It was mostly uneventful, save for Rusty accidently sending springs bouncing all around the classroom. With the last lesson over, class was dismissed. As Zanya prepared to leave, Clyde, Rusty, Liam and Zach all approached her.

"Hey, Zanya. We were planning to head over to the comic book store later. Wanna come with?" Clyde offered, the other boys giving her expectant smiles. While Zanya wasn't really much for comics, she did think it would be an ideal time to see the town and get to know her new friends.

"Alright. Just let me return to the Loud House to restock my snack supplies, get my pocket money and tell the Louds where I'll be."

"Sweet. We'll meet you there later." Rusty said, giving her a wink before they headed off. Zanya put the books she needed into her backpack and stepped out into the hallway, where the foot traffic was fairly heavy.

"Well, hello again, beautiful." Came the voice of Chandler from beside her as she managed to enter the moving mass of students. She turned to look at him and his smiling face.

"Oh! Hello Chandler. Had a good day?" She asked, smiling at him in return.

"Yeah. Even better now. How about you?"

"Truthfully, it could have been better…my first day here was kinda rough...but I did make a lot of new friends, so I guess it wasn't all bad."

"Well, maybe I can help make it better, if you aren't busy later. We could go get some ice cream."

"That sounds nice, but I'm afraid I have plans already. I'm going to the comic book store with Clyde, Zach, Liam and Rusty." Chandler blinked, looking at her a little strangely.

"I...never pegged you for a comic book ge...er...fan." He corrected himself quickly to avoid possibly upsetting her.

"I'm not, but it would be nice to see the town and get to know them better. And who knows? Maybe I'll see something interesting." Chandler breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Oh. Well, how about tomorrow after school?"

"Sure. Sounds fun."

"Great. In that case, I'll see you tomorrow, Zanya." He said, giving her a finger gun in farewell as well as a little smirk before he went on his way. The raven haired zombie giggled a little bit as she exited the school and found Lana, Lisa, Lola and Lucy all waiting by the curb.

"Hey Zanya!" Lana called excitedly, waving to her with a big smile on her face.

"Zanya. I hope you're doing better now than you were earlier." Lucy said.

"Hey everyone. Yeah, a little bit, no thanks to Principal Huggins…"

"Yes...Lucy informed us about what happened in the library." Lisa told her with a frown.

"What a witch...kicking you out just because…" Lana started to say, but Lisa and Lucy stopped her. "Oh...right...he made us promise not to say anything about...that."

"He made you guys promise too?" Zanya asked, her mood souring instantly.

"Affirmative. Not long after he had his talk with you, I imagine. I personally do not see the point in such deception, but he refused to take no for an answer."

"He even said he'd suspend us if we told anyone in class." Lana said.

"Not that I would tell anyone I have to share a house with a foul, yucky walking corpse…" Lola grumbled.

"You say something, sis?" Lana asked her twin.

"Nothing…" She replied sourly.

"...there's more I could tell you, but I think it's best if we wait till we get home…" Zanya whispered to them, glancing in either direction. "In case you know who is listening." And as it turned out, she was right...sort of. Watching them from a nearby was the head of the school himself, looking out at them with a serious expression. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he felt he could guess safely enough.

"They're upset, as children tend to get." He said to himself as he observed them till Vanzilla's arrival on school property. "I suspected as much. But even the justly punished throw tantrums and sulk when given what they deserve for their own good. In time, however, they will realize just how right I was, and that everything I've done was for Zanya's own good." He starts to imagine what would have happened if the other children discovered she was a monster girl as he meandered toward his office: students throwing rotten fruit and vegetables at her on sight. Classes being disrupted as students screamed and ran from the zombie, or hurled insults at her. Students chasing her down with pitchforks and torches, leaving his precious school in ruin trying to destroy her. He shuddered at the thought, shaking his head to clear it before saying, "They'll see...it's for the best…"


	5. Chapter 5: The Cadets

_AN: This chapter and the next one will probably be quick ones to establish a few more things. After that, I plan to speed things up a bit time wise for the sake of the story, or at least as much as I can depending on certain plot essential moments. I have plans for both sides of the story, as well as a central story that will encompass both the Royal Woods and Grimwood sides. Just hope I can avoid bogging myself down with too many side plots to get to that point._

The Cadets

"What was that?" Lincoln asked, putting his book down and looking toward the hedges.

"Oh, those must be the Calloway Cadets from the military school next door." Sibella explained, not even glancing toward the noise. She was used to the sounds of the Cadets in training next door.

"Oh? What are they like?" He inquired, still looking to where he heard the shout.

"They can be nice, but they can also be pains in the neck." Sibella explained. "They're probably practicing for our annual volleyball game." Even though she didn't even turn from her book, she could tell Lincoln was already gone, probably to investigate. And sure enough, he had. He was walking past Miss Grimwood's garden (which he noticed was filled with overripe fruit and vegetables) and stepped up to the large hedge separating the two schools. He pushed aside some leaves and branches, peeking through the natural barrier. He saw seven boys on the other side, at either side of a volleyball net, with an adult man observing from the sidelines. He was wearing a dark blue uniform that looked more like a police uniform than a military one. He had very short black hair and a thin moustache and was giving instructions to the boys.

"Tug! You're not covering your section! The ball could easily get by you!" He barked to a blond hair boy on the side with only three players. Along with him was a tall, strong, and heavy set young man, and a dark haired boy who looked like he could be Hispanic. On the other side was a tall African American young man, a small, fair skinned boy with orangish hair, a bald kid who looks like he didn't really care what was going on, and short, thin boy with a weasely look and slicked back cherry red hair.

"Yes, sir, Colonel Calloway!" The boy called Tug replied, moving closer to one of the back corners of his side of the field.

"Keep up that fine serving, Mel!" The Colonel said as the bald headed one launched the ball over the net.

"Thank you, sir." He replied in a dull, lifeless tone.

"I got it!" The heavy set boy yelled, leaping into the air to spike the serve back down, the ball hitting the ground before the two kids up front could save it. He may be big, but he could move, Lincoln noticed.

"Solid defense, Grunt." Tug complimented, patting his friend and teammate on the back.

"You mean offense." The tall young man opposite them corrected him.

"You know what they say, Jamal. The best defense is a good offense." Grunt replied smugly.

"Fair point."

"Your turn to serve, Miguel." Tug said, passing him the ball before whispering. "Aim for between Baxter and Simon. They'll probably both for it and foul each other up."

"Affirmative." Miguel replied, serving the ball up over the net. Just as Tug predicted, the two smallest of their group went for it, with the weasely one in the back trying to push the smaller of the two out of the way to get the ball. As a result, neither got it.

"Cadet Simon! You know there is no I in team!" Colonel Calloway berated him, looking displeased.

"Begging the Colonel's pardon, but he shouldn't have gotten in my way." Simon replied, glaring at Little Baxter.

"You know that the front positioned player is responsible for balls landing dead center except in circumstances where they are too far away to get it. In addition, you should have said something." Baxter responded angrily.

"Quite right, Cadet." The Colonel agreed with a nod, Baxter sticking his tongue out at Simon when the Colonel looked away. They threw the ball back to Miguel, who served the ball once more. However, his serve went too high and wide, sailing over the hedge.

"Oops! Heads up!" He called out. Lincoln looked up just in time for the ball to mash him right in the face. And then, nothing but darkness.

"Hey, I think he's coming to…" The voice of Jamal said as Lincoln groaned, his eyes opening. His vision was a little blurry, but he could swear he saw eight figures standing over him. He could barely make out some yellow hair.

"L...Lori…?" Lincoln asked as he tried to regain his senses.

"Who's Lori?" Tug asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have some better questions." Colonel Calloway said, leering down at the boy recovering amidst his cadets. "Who are you and what are you doing on Miss Grimwood's property!?"

"Uh….Loud Lincoln…." He replied, before shaking his head and trying it again. "I mean, Lincoln Loud...I'm the new exchange student from Royal Woods…."

"A likely story, 'Lincoln'. Perhaps you missed the fact that this is 'Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for GIRLS'."

"It's ok, Colonel. I will vouch for the young man." The Colonel looked up to see the headmistress running toward them, Sibella close behind her.

"Miss Grimwood?"

"The same. And what Lincoln says is true, Colonel. The times are changing, and Grimwood's Finishing School is changing with it. And Lincoln Loud here is at the center of that change." She gently passes through the circle of boys to get a closer look at Lincoln, whose face was red from the impact of the volleyball. "Are you alright, dear?"

"Yeah. I've been through worse on dodgeball day." He said, sitting up. His face still felt rather sore though.

"Hmmm. It doesn't look bad. Should heal soon enough." The motherly headmistress smiled as she helped Lincoln up.

"Sorry about that, buddy." Miguel said, scratching the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it. It was an accident." Lincoln said with a chuckle.

"My apologies for being so quick to suspect, Mr Loud." Colonel Calloway said. "After the Revolta incident last year, we can't be too careful."

"No harm done." The white haired lad responded. 'I should really ask about this incident sometime.' Lincoln thought as he realized this was the second time the name Revolta was mentioned with regards to heightened security.

"Well, I am glad that is settled. Perhaps you would be so kind as to join me for a cup of tea, Colonel?" Miss Grimwood offered with a smile.

"Negative, Miss Grimwood. I'm afraid I have too much on my own plate to consider tea…" he replied sullenly. As if on cue, the Colonel's phone went off. "Excuse me. I have to take this. Take ten, Cadets." He ordered, pulling out his cell phone and walking back around to their side.

"A shame. Oh well. Perhaps another time. Adieu, children. Take care." She waved to them before she vanished in a swirl of her shawl.

"I'm glad you're alright, Lincoln. When I saw you collapse, I was so worried." Sibella said, giving Lincoln a warm smile. It made not only Lincoln blush, but Tug as well. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine now, Sibella. Honest." He replied. She looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

"And boys, do try and take more care in the future. I don't want there to be any bat blood between us."

"Right. We'll be more careful." Tug said nervously. Though she was smiling when she said it, there was still a slightly threatening air to it.

"Fangs a lot. I'll see you later, Lincoln." She turned and started on her way back to the tree where she had left her book.

"Well, as long as we're all here, allow us to introduce ourselves properly." Jamal said, as each of the Cadets went on to tell Lincoln their names.

"A pleasure to meet all of you." He responded, shaking each of their hands.

"So, what do you think of Grimwood, Lincoln?" Tug asked, his arms crossed in front of him, while Jamal fiddled with his phone in the background.

"Truthfully, it's great." The young boy from Royal Woods answered. "A little spooky at first and strange in places, but I'm getting used to it and really enjoying my time here."

"I see. Well, we gotta get back and get ready to resume practice." The blonde cadet said, pointing a thumb back toward the hedge.

"Didn't your teacher say to take ten?"

"Colonel Calloway's phone calls never last that long. See you around, Loud." Tug motioned his fellow cadets to follow him back around the hedge, leaving Lincoln a little curious why he was so keen to leave so quick. "So, what do we have on the guy?" He whispers to Jamal, who was still on his phone.

"Lincoln Loud. Royal Woods, Michigan….ah, here we go." He said, having found the info he needed. "Eleven years old. Father a chef at a Hawaiian/Russian fusion restaurant mother a dental hygienist assistant. Grades, kinda average."

"Why are you so keen on finding out so much about this kid, Tug?" Baxter inquired. "You could have just asked him."

"I don't trust him." Tug replied flatly. "No eleven year old is that nice. He's up to something."

"Just because you would be up to something doesn't mean all eleven year olds would be." Miguel said with a smirk.

"Watch it…." Tug replied, shaking a fist at his fellow cadet, who backed up defensively.

"It may have something to do with his environment." Jamal said as he continued to read up on Lincoln. "Living in a house with ten sisters will no doubt have an effect on a guy."

"Say what!?" The other six cadets asked in shock, huddling around their tall friend's phone. On it was a group picture of all eleven Loud children.

"Whoa...their parents didn't know when to say when…" Tug commented.

"Think any of them are single?" Grunt asked, his eyes gravitating toward Luan.

"Save it, big guy." Simon grumbled. "I call dibs on that one."

"Hey. I know her." Mel said dully, pointing to Luna. "I saw her perform once. She is good."

"Wow. She must be. That's the closest I've seen you come to showing emotion since the Colonel slipped at breakfast last week." Miguel joked.

"Focus, guys." Tug instructed, getting a little annoyed. "What else is there? What kind of dirt can you find?"

"Hmmm. Well, he seems to get up to shenanigans from time to time…" Jamal said, digging through what info he had on his phone. "...but nothing that one would call dirt."

"Dang it…" The cadet's leader grumbled.

"He could just be a legit nice guy." Baxter suggested, frowning at the older blond haired boy.

"Maybe...but I plan to keep my eye on him." The small boy rolled his eyes, which quickly widened as he saw Colonel headed their way. He poked Tug in the back and pointed their returning headmaster out to him.

"Attention!" Tug called out, saluting just like his fellow cadets.

"As you were, cadets…." He replied in a distant voice, looking like someone had kicked his puppy.

"Something wrong, Colonel?" Mel asked.

"...it's nothing you need to worry about right now, boys." Their commanding officer said glumly. "Proceed with volleyball practice...I'll be in my office." he added before he wandered off.

"Did the Colonel look more….blue than usual?" Miguel asked as watched Colonel Calloway leave.

"Yeah...I wonder what brought that on…" Grunt pondered aloud.

"Does it matter? We got ourselves some free time. Let's take advantage of it." Simon said with a smirk. The other boys looked at one another, asking each other without words if they should.

"Negative." Tug finally answered. "We need to practice. We aren't going to lose to the Grimwood Girls again."

"Suit yourselves. I'm gonna go take it easy while you guys knock yourselves out." He replied, turning his back to his fellow cadets to find a place to lounge around.

"How did he ever make it into Calloway's?" Jamal asked, shaking his head.

"Same way most of us did. His parents made him." Grunt responded.

"Oh yeah…then why is he still here?"

"Nevermind him, guys. We have a big game to practice for, so let's get to it." Tug said, holding his hand out in front of him.

"Right!" His friends, minus Mel, all exclaimed, their hands joining his in a sign of unity.

"All the way with Calloway." Mel said blandly.

Lincoln scratched his head as the Cadets left the conversation mere seconds after they started. Seemed a touch rude, he thought. On the other hand, he himself had never been to a military school before. Not doubt standards were a lot stricter. While he pondered this, he didn't notice that he was being stalked. Stalked by a small, thin figure creeping through the rotting tomato plants. He started on his way back, completely oblivious to his new little shadow. "Hmmmm. Perhaps I'll practice some of the spells I learned today back up in my room, once I get my book and pack." He said to himself. "And then I'll…" His train of thought was interrupted by something grabbing hold of his legs. He falls forward as he was pulled back toward the garden at significant speed. He claws at the ground to try and stop himself, turning his head back to see what was going on. A vine like tendril was wrapped around his legs, and was pulling him toward a giant fly trap like plant. He screamed as the monster fly trap licked what it had for lips, drawing him ever closer. His mind raced of a way out of this situation, still screaming his head off hoping someone would hear. As the carnivorous plant lifted him into the air, he did the only thing he could think of, grabbing the leafy tentacle and biting into it. His desperate move worked, the fly trap dropping him to the ground with a screech. Lincoln tried to make a run for it, but the man eater had another vine, which grabbed him around the chest. Before it could pull him in, a lasso made of bandages was wrapped around him as well. Little Tanis pulled with all her might, which was pretty significant for one her size. However, the most she ended up doing was slowing the hungry plant's progress. Her eyes glanced in every direction, looking for someone, anyone who could help them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Milly watering the mostly dead plants.

"Milly!" She cried out to the little alien, getting her attention. "Help!" Lincoln was inches from the fly trap's greedy maw, Tanis pulling back as hard as she could. M-149 looked to the helpless human, her first instinct to just ignore the situation. It was, as the Earthlings would say, natural selection. However, the look of horror in Tanis' face and the tears welling up in her eyes...it gave her serious second thoughts. She may not care for the Earthling, but Tanis was her friend. She draws her ray gun and fired it at the plant. The vicious vegetable froze just short of biting into Lincoln. He gulped as he looked up into the roof of the fly trap's mouth, right before Tanis pulled him free of the plant's now slack grip.

"Are you ok?" Tanis asked, concern clear on her face.

"I...I think so…" He stammered, still shaking from the experience. "Thank you, Tanis...you saved me….and thank you, M-149…"

"Save your thanks, Earthling. I acted for Tanis' sake. Not yours." The Martian said coldly before she walked away to continue her task.

"...I appreciate it nonetheless." He said as she left, though he was uncertain if she heard him. In truth, she had, though she didn't react to it. Tanis helped Lincoln up and escorted him away from the garden.

"I sorry about that. I guess no one told you about Miss Grimwood's plants…" Tanis said sadly. "I guess they hadn't been fed yet…"

"It's not your fault…" He told her, trying to calm down. "...I am definitely staying away from the garden from now on…" The little mummy gives him a comforting hug, which Lincoln slowly returned, a smile slowly reappearing.

"That's better." She said, pleased to see him smile again. "Come on. Let's get you back to your room."

"Alright...just...let me get my stuff from the old weeping willow first." Tanis nodded and walked with him to the tree. Sibella wasn't there when they arrived, just his book and backpack. He grabs his things before he and the youngest Grimwood student proceeded back to the school and to his dorm room. He was starting to calm down by the time they arrived, taking a seat on his bed. Tanis was about to leave when she notices Bun Bun sitting on his dresser. She picks up the plush bunny.

"Is this yours, Lincoln?" She asked, looking the toy over.

"Er...yeah." He admitted, blushing a little. "That's Bun Bun, one of my best friends. I've had him ever since I was a baby."

"He's cute." Tanis said with a smile, handing him to Lincoln.

"He sure is." Lincoln agreed, hugging his plush rabbit. Then an idea came to him. He stands up and sets Bun Bun down in the center of the room.

"What are you doing?" The young mummy inquired.

"I'm going to practice the size altering spell a little." He said, giving himself a little room. "Incantorum!" He chanted, performing the necessary hand motion. Just like last time, it took a few minutes before Bun Bun grew a miniscule amount. He smiles and cast the spell again. Once more, his precious plush grew a little. Encouraged, he gave it one more go. "Incantorum!" This time, some odd gold sparks fly from his finger and surround Bun Bun for a moment before causing the rabbit to grow to giant size, almost too big for the ceiling, in an instant. "W...what just happened?" he asked, stunned by the sudden and drastic change.

"It means you're improving." Tanis explained. "Though did you intend to make Bun Bun that big?"

"No...I just wanted to make him grow a little like last time." He said, looking up at the massive toy rabbit. "I guess I got carried away. It's no problem. I can fix th-" He started to say, but then he noticed Tanis was laying on one of Bun Bun's legs, her head resting on it's plush belly. He looks at her for a moment, with two thoughts instantly coming to mind. Two thoughts he verbalized shortly after.

"Awwwww." He said, smiling at the adorable scene before him, before he turned to the fourth wall. "You know...she has the right idea." He addressed the audience before he climbs onto the stuffed bunny's other leg and laid back against its soft belly. He knew he would eventually have to return his precious plush to normal, but for now, why not enjoy it? He and Tanis simply hung out together, resting on Bun Bun for a good long while. His favorite plush was so comfy, he almost lost track of time. He did lose his sense of his surroundings, however, or he would have noticed Bun Bun moving its arms to pat him and his friend on the head. He smiled lazily, before glancing over at Tanis. Seeing the giant stubby hand of the rabbit rubbing Tanis on the head was enough to snap him out daze and make him look up, just in time for the oversized rabbit to reach for the both of them. His gasp of surprise got Tanis' attention, but too late for her to do anything about the plush paw already upon her.

"Eeeeeeehehehehehehehehehehehehehe!" Tanis was about to scream in shock, but her scream gave way to a fit of giggles. Lincoln himself was helpless with laughter as Bun Bun poked them both in the stomachs repeatedly.

"Come on!" Lincoln exclaimed as he laughed, squirming around. "Knock it off!"

"Fun's fun, but that's enough, Phanty." A giggly Tanis said.

"Awwww, I didn't fool you for a moment, did I?" Phantasma said as she emerged from Lincoln's toy.

"Phantasma? You scared me…" Lincoln scolded her with a frown.

"Hehehe. I'm sorry, Linky. I was just playing with you and Tanis." The spirited spectre replied, floating to eye level with him. "You forgive this silly little ghost, right?" She asked, giving him the big eyes his younger sisters so frequently used.

"...yeah, I forgive you, Phanty." He answered with a sigh, getting a big hug from his ethereal friend.

"Thanks, Linky!" She chirped, which made the one son blush a little. "We cool too, Tanis?"

"Of course, Phanty. We're friends after all." The little mummy said, running over to get in on the hug.

"Room for one more?" Winnie asked from the open door, smirking as she joined the group hug.

"Hey, Lincoln." Tanis suddenly said after they separated from the hug. "You mentioned your sisters before. Could you tell us more about them, please?"

"Yeah! Pleeease?" Phanty pleaded along with her friend.

"Alright, if you'd like to hear about them, sure. In fact, why don't you ask the others to join us? I'm sure some of them would like to hear about them too." Lincoln suggested, looking to Phantasma.

"I'm on it." The little lady ghost dove into the floor in search of their friends. It took a couple minutes, but she soon returned with Sibella, Gosuki, and Elsa. Lincoln had a feeling that M-149 wouldn't be interested and Gila would be too scared to come, so he didn't ask where they were. However, what he didn't know was they were just outside, listening in. Milly was truly uninterested, but Gila didn't want to eavesdrop alone.

"Well, isn't that adorable?" Sibella commented, looking at the king sized lapin dominating the center of the room with a bit of a grin.

"And lots of fun too." Phanty added, giggling while Lincoln's cheeks turned red again.

"I can imagine. Anyway, you were about to tell us about your sisters, Lincoln?"

"Er...yeah." Lincoln cleared his throat to give him time to regain his senses. "Let's see...I guess the best place to start is with my oldest sister, Lori." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and found a picture of himself and Lori at the golf course, with Lincoln acting as Lori's caddy. The girls all gathered close to him to get a good look at the picture. "As the oldest sister, she is the most often left in charge when my parents go out, and she tends to rule with an iron fist during those times."

"That doesn't sound very fair." Elsa commented with a frown.

"I thought so too, but trying to keep control of ten siblings at once...you have to be pretty tough for that. I speak from experience." Lincoln shuddered a bit at the memory. "And since a moment of mutiny, Lori has eased up a little. One thing she never eases up on is her phone, though. She's always talking or texting on it, mostly to her boyfriend Bobby, which causes the rest of the world to cease to exist."

"Well, I can't say I blame her much for that." Gosuki said, getting surprised looks from everyone but Lincoln. "If I had a boyfriend, I would want to talk to him as much as possible too."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Winnie commented as she understood the little kaiju's logic.

"All that said, she is easily the most responsible of us all, and she's always willing to offer advice to her younger siblings. Especially relationship advice. And when the chips are down, I know Lori will have our backs." He smiles as he brought up the next picture, Leni posing in one of her original outfits. "And here's Leni."

"She's so pretty." Tanis said, a look of wide eyed wonder on her face.

"She's the most fashion savvy of all of us. She's utterly brilliant with fashion design, woodworking, and lock picking...for some reason." Lincoln paused for a moment, wondering where Leni picked that skill up. He shook his head to dismiss the thought and continued. "Unfortunately, in almost every other area, she's…not the brightest, to put it nicely. She can sometimes misunderstand things and take some things too literally. But she does have the biggest heart of all of us, and will go to great lengths to see her family happy."

"She sounds like a real sweetheart." Sibella said.

"She is. She is. So is the next sister, though not as much as Leni." He swiped to a picture of Luna on stage, rocking it out to a full house. "Her name is Luna, and she brings a literal meaning to our surname of Loud."

"So she's the musician you told us about." Phantasma said, leaning in for a closer look.

"Yep. Her favorite genre is rock and roll, but she can play almost any kind of music, with practically every instrument."

"She sounds like a talented individual.." Gila whispered to Milly.

"Pfft. She couldn't hold a candle to some good old fashion martian jazz." She whispered in reply.

"She's one of the most chill of my sisters in most cases, and one of the most energetic when it comes to performing. Sure, she has her selfish moments, but don't we all? She can also be really loud at bad times, but it's a small price to pay for such a cool sister. And next, we have Luan." The next image was a picture taken during one of Luan's birthday performances, with the family clown and Lincoln in full clown attire. Most of the girls giggled at the sight, but Elsa seemed pretty nervous. "Something wrong?"

"Sorry Lincoln, but I...don't much care for clowns…" The reanimated girl replied with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Oh. Sorry." The middle Loud hastily changed the picture to a more casual shot of Luan will her arm around Lincoln. "Better?"

"Much. Thanks." Elsa said with a smile, putting an arm around her human friend.

"Anyway, Luan is a comedian and an incorrigible practical joker. She'll never pass up a chance to make a pun or pull a prank. It can get a little annoying sometimes, but she rarely means any harm...except on April Fools Day." Lincoln paused a moment as he remembered her most recent April Fools shenanigans. It made him go pale for a moment.

"It was that bad?" Winnie asked, looking worried.

"Oh yes...though after we got her back, she promised to ease up. The horrors of April Fools aside, Luan tries her best to try and bring smiles and laughs into our lives. And you know what...she does." He chuckles lightly. The next photo in line was of Lynn, holding up a soccer trophy.

"Oh! Is this that girl you said I was like? Lynn?" Winnie asked when she saw her.

"That's her. And the words that best describe her are as follow, and I quote: loyal, tough and athletic. Any bully who dares to mess with one of us, they have to answer to her. Not only that, but there's few tougher than her, with the possible exception of Ronnie Anne."

"Oh? Who's Ronnie Anne?" Sibella asked with a tone of interest.

"One of my best friends. She lives with her extended family a few cities over, but we video chat when we get the opportunity. I have a picture of her here, but let's finish with my sisters first. Lynn plays all kinds of sports, from football to track and field...some of them at the same time. How she manages that, I'll never know. She is kinda of a poor sport, both in victory and defeat, and she used to be very superstitious. She a bit better on both fronts, but you know what they say about bad habits."

"At least she is trying." Gosuki pointed out.

"Exactly." Lincoln agreed with a nod before turning to a picture of Lucy simply standing there, staring at the camera. "And here's the first of my younger sisters, Lucy. I think she's one who would love to come here. She loves the arcane, the occult and the macabre."

"Sounds like she's fit right in." Phantasma said. "Plus she's cute too."

"She's an avid poet, spending most of her free time writing poetry. She is also a big fan of vampires, including and especially the show 'Vampires of Melancholia'."

"I've seen that show...can't say I much care for it." Sibella commented. "It pegs vampires as brooding, gothic whiners...though I will credit the actors for trying to be dignified."

"She doesn't show a lot of emotion and doesn't say much, but she has her own way of showing how much she cares." He swiped over to an image of Lana, Lola and Lincoln, playing princess castle defense, with the one son acting as a marauding troll. This brought a fresh wave of giggles from the Grimwood Girls.

"...I wish we could see what was making them giggle so much…" Gila commented quietly.

"It's just pictures of earth humans. We aren't missing anything…" M-149 grumbled.

"These are the twins. The one in the overalls with the cardboard sword is Lana, while the one who looks like a princess is Lola."

"And who's the cute troll?" Sibella teased, giggling at Lincoln's newly returned blush.

"Sibella…."

"I'm just teasing you." The vampiress explained with an amused tone. "Please, do continue."

"...despite being twins, these two couldn't be more different. Lana is a lover all animals, especially reptiles and amphibians, and loves getting dirty. She's as much a tomboy as Lynn. In contrast, Lola is a pageant princess, liking everything clean, pretty, prim and proper. She's...also not one you want to anger...she can be very vindictive and devious when she wants to be."

"How devious?" Elsa asked.

"She once had all our sisters pretend she had committed horrible acts of vengeance against them and tell me as much to teach me a lesson about ignoring her…"

"That is devious."

"So yeah, the two are constantly fighting...but in spite of all the fighting and their differences, they love each other deeply and both would even step out of their comfort zones if it meant helping their family. And that brings us to Lisa, the second youngest but most intelligent of our family." He brings up a picture of a very surprised Lisa, her face covered in ash and soot, the remains of a failed experiment in front of her. "When it comes to all forms of science and technology, she is a super genius. She's even cracked the code for dimensional travel and has a strong theory behind time travel."

"WHAT!?" Milly shouted, shortly before covering her mouth, blushing. All eyes turned toward the door, Phantasma floating over for a look outside. She looks up and down the hall, but found nothing there.

"Hmmm. No one here." She commented, returning to hover by Lincoln. The moment the ghostly girl left, Milly and Gila both faded back into view, the little Martian's hand over her aquatic friend's mouth.

"Thank Tor'Ka I brought my cloaking field…" she muttered under her breath.

"You need to be more careful…" Gila quietly scolded her with a frown.

"Well, sorry...but an Earthling mastering dimensional travel...close to mastering time travel...it's inconceivable." M-149 whispered angrily. "He must be lying…"

"Shh. He's talking again." Gila hushed her, upsetting the little alien even more.

"As I was saying…" Lincoln said once Phanty was comfortable again. "...her being a genius made her a bit conceited though, flaunting her intelligence and talking down to most others. Even grown ups."

"Sounds like a certain someone we know." Winnie commented, chuckling along with her friends. Outside the room, Milly was getting ever angrier.

"She also had a tendency to experiment on us all without our knowledge or consent." The white haired boy continued, earning a few gasps from Elsa, Sibella, and Gila. "I say had because she has gotten better about asking permission first. It's rare she ever tries to force us to cooperate with her experiments these days. Like Lucy, she doesn't tend to show much emotion (albeit for different reasons), but we know she loves us and she knows we love her too. Now, before I show you this last picture, I must warn you...the levels of adorable are off the charts." He gave the ghoul gals a moment before he showed them a picture of Lily, all snuggled up with her blanket, napping peacefully in her crib.

"Awwwwww!" Came the chorus of adoration from the six monster girls around Lincoln.

"Hehe. I warned you. This is Lily, our baby sister. Put simply, she is the cutest thing ever. She's also pretty smart too, able to handle a phone and social media before she can even speak. But then again, between Lori and Leni, she has great teachers. She can be a handful, but she is an absolute sweetheart." He closed the photo album on his phone, but before he could shut off his phone, Sibella stopped him.

"Not so fast. What about Ronnie Anne?" She inquired with a grin.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." He grins sheepishly as he opened the album back up and pulled up a picture of him and Ronnie Anne, with the Latina lass punching him in the arm. This made Tanis and Sibella frown and Gosuki look confused.

"I thought you said she was a friend." Gosuki said, voicing her confusion.

"Doesn't look so friendly to me…" Tanis said, crossing her arms in front of her, a clear look of disapproval in her face.

"Probably not the best picture to show in hindsight, but make no mistake. We really are good friends. That's just her own way of showing affection." Lincoln explained, worried he may have harmed Ronnie Anne's rep with them already. "I mean, Lynn punches me too. Even gives me two for flinching. She doesn't do it to be mean."

"...well, if you say so." Tanis said, easing up a little. Sibella, on the other hand, was less convinced, but she didn't say anything.

"At any rate, Ronnie Anne was one of the toughest kids at my school back when she lived in our city. Kinda the complete opposite of me, really."

"Then how'd the two of your become friends?" Winnie asked with a raised eyebrow. Lincoln had to think fast on this. If he admitted that she used to be his bully, they would no doubt grow more hostile toward her.

"That...is a bit of a long story, and one for another time." Lincoln said evasively, which unfortunately for him simply made the vampiress beside him suspicious. However, she decided she would question him about it later. "Those were my sisters and one of my best friends."

"I dunno about the rest of you, but I look forward to meeting them all some day." Winnie said. Her friends all nodded in agreement.

"The only Earthling I want to even consider meeting is this upstart who supposedly cracked the code on dimensional and time travel…" Milly growled from out in the hall.

"We better go…" Gila whispered with worry. "They're probably going to be coming out any second." The Martian girl nodded, turning on her cloaking field again as she and Gila evacuated the area.


	6. Chapter 6: Fun Times and Family Meetings

Fun times and Family Meetings

"They did what!?" Luna exclaimed as Zanya finished describing how Principal Huggins had ordered Coach Pacowski to make her sit gym class out. The younger Louds and Zanya were the last to be picked up from school, so all the Loud children were present in Vanzilla.

"He told the Coach that I wasn't allowed to participate in gym. All because he was afraid I would lose a limb and everyone would know I'm a zombie…"

"Pfft. No reason to deprive someone of fun." Lynn scoffed, looking pretty upset.

"They barred me from recess for the same thing." Zanya added.

"No way!" Lana's jaw nearly hit the floor. "You do NOT take a good kid's recess for something so stupid!"

"It's bad enough he forced you to promise not to tell anyone about the real you and threatened our sisters with suspension to keep them quiet...now this!?" An irate Luan ranted, gesturing violently with her arms as she did. "This goes way beyond the 'principal' of this thing!"

"Obvious pun aside, I must concur with my elder siblings. While his actions were born from good intentions, they go well beyond what can be considered acceptable." Lisa agreed.

"And that's not all. The librarian also banned her from the library." Lucy interjected angrily. "Simply because she was told Zanya was a zombie and felt she must be disease ridden as a result."

"But she…" Lola was about to say that she was, but looking at all the enraged faces around her made her shut up. Fortunately, no one really heard her.

"Please tell me you're joking, Lucy…" Lori said, keeping her angry eyes on the road. She might not be comfortable around her zombie guest, but that was crossing the line to her.

"I don't do jokes." She responded flatly.

"I already told the principal about it and he said he would do something about it." Zanya said, trying to calm the tense atmosphere with a little good news.

"Which means he'll probably ban you from the classrooms next…" Lana said sourly.

"When we get home, we are totes telling Mom and Dad!" A disgruntled Leni exclaimed.

"I'll take care of that myself, Leni." Zanya told her. "Though I do appreciate the thought. Anyway, today wasn't all bad. I did make a lot of friends."

"That's great. Anyone we know?" Lynn asked.

"I think so, since they said they were friends of Lincoln's. Clyde, Rusty, Liam, Zach, Stella, a girl named Jordan…." Lincoln's sisters, minus Lola, all nodded in approval, knowing each of those kids. "...and a gentleman not in my class called Chandler."

"Chandler?" Lori frowned lightly as she heard that name. That little creep who pushed Lincoln into begging for more and more free stuff when she worked at Gus'? "I...don't think you want to be friends with him…"

"Why not?" The Grimwood ghoul asked in surprise.

"He's a rather...self centered individual." Lori explained. "He manipulated Lincoln for his own gain in the past…"

"That does sound bad…" Zanya said with a slight frown. "But I think I'd still like to give him a chance and get to know him better for myself."

"...I suppose that is fair…" Lori said, slightly defeated. 'just don't say I didn't warn you.' she thought.

"Speaking of friends, Lincoln's friends invited me to come with them to the comic book store this afternoon."

"You like comics, brah?" Luna asked in surprise.

"Not really, but it would give me a chance to get better acquainted with them and see the town some." Zanya explained.

"That makes sense." Lana said, putting an arm around her zombie friend (which made Lola cringe). "I think you'll like Royal Woods."

"If the people here are more like my classmates and less like the teachers, then you're probably right." Vanzilla pulled to a stop in the Loud Family driveway, with everyone but Leni and Zanya leaving the car. Leni lagged behind to give the undead girl Mr and Mrs Loud's cell number so she could tell them herself where she was going. After getting their blessing (upon telling them where she was going and with who, of course), she hurried upstairs to get some money and snacks before she dashed back outside to wait for Lincoln's friends. Meanwhile, Lola was watching her the whole time, watching and waiting for her to leave. She didn't have to wait long, for the quartet of kids arrived about ten minutes later and took the zombie girl off to what Lola would call 'Nerd's Paradise'. Now was the time to strike.

"EVERYONE! SIBLING MEETING!" She screamed, getting the attention of everyone in the house.

"Lola!? What gives?" Lori angrily asked, holding a hand to her phone.

"I'm calling an emergency family meeting." Lola replied in a 'No Duh' tone of voice. "Everyone, meet in Lori's room, now!" The other Loud children move hastily to appease the loud little princess (if for no other reason than to keep her quiet). Everyone except Lily (who wasn't home from daycare yet) and Lisa. Noticing the lack of the mini mastermind, Lola storms her way to the room Lisa and Lily shared. "LISA!"

"Keep your voice down. I am performing delicate work here…" Lisa responded, not looking away from her instruments.

"Don't care. Move butt." Lola demanded, pointing toward Lori's room.

"Apologies, elder sister, but this can wait no longer. I have been waiting to perform an analysis on the samples Zanya so generously granted me this morning all day, and I choose to wait no longer." Lisa explained, with no hint of fear or concern in her voice.

"I said...did you say Zanya?" Lola asked, her tone changing in an instant.

"Indeed. I was curious as to her physiology and how she can exist as she does, so she so kindly gave me a small tissue sample and a sample of the substance which substitutes for blood for her. I should have a definitive answer to a number of questions regarding our undead guest in about five minutes. Please feel free to start the meeting without me."

"Oh, no no. We wouldn't dream of starting without you, dear Lisa." Lola said, suddenly sounding very sweet, making the little genius very suspicious. "You do your work and take all the time you need.I'll keep the meeting from starting until you get there." Lola smiled to Lisa before she turned with a flourish and sauntered away.

"What is she planning?" Lisa wondered quietly to herself.

* * *

Back outside, Zanya was all smiles as she walked with Clyde, Liam, Rusty and Zach along Franklin Avenue. Since they had a long way to go, the boys entertained her with some amusing tales while showing her around. When they paused to get a Flippy from Flippy's, Zach was regaling the time they tried to help Lincoln 'get over Ronnie Anne'. He had the zombie girl in stitches, she was laughing so hard. "I'm sorry!" She said through her hysterics. "But that was just hysterical!"

"Don't fret none, Zanya. We can look back on it and laugh too." Liam said with a chuckle, sipping on a cherry Flippy.

"Needless to say, we decided we were gonna try and assume less when it comes to Lincoln, and ask next time we think something's bothering him." Clyde added.

"And I learned that birds are pure evil…." Rusty grumbled, looking up at the sky.

"Mmmmm. These Flippy's are tasty." Zanya commented as she drank her blue raspberry drink. "And cold."

"Yeah. The owner may be a jerk...and kinda suspect...but this is still the best place to get a cool, sweet drink." Zach said. "Well, except for the mall's ice cream shop, but that's pretty pricey."

"Are you sure I shouldn't get the nachos?" She asked Clyde, staring longingly at the melted, cheesy snacks still inside.

"Trust me. You don't know when he last cleaned that machine….I don't think even he knows." Clyde responded, shaking his head seriously.

"Yikes...maybe I'll just make some when I get home...or some fondue!" She said excitedly, licking her lips and scarfing down a carrot stick.

"I take it you're a fan of cheese?" Rusty asked with a grin.

"Oh, I LOVE cheese!" She exclaimed in return. From an alley nearby, a mysterious figure in a trenchcoat and hat peeked around the corner, looking right at them. He pulled out a notebook and wrote down some notes before taking cover again. The four boys and one gal continued on their way, passing by Jean Juan's French Mex Buffet, Gus' Game and Grub, the library and even the Royal Woods Rooster's Football Field. Their journey eventually ended at the mall, and the comic book store therein. All the while, they were being stalked by the trenchcoated figure. Once inside, most of the boys went off on their own, with Rusty sticking by the Grimwood girl. She started to peruse the shelves of comics, but nothing really piqued her interest.

"Something wrong, Zan? Can I call you, Zan?" Rusty asked her, noticing her looking a little bored.

"Sure. And not really. Just not finding anything interesting." She said with a shrug.

"Well, admittedly, they don't have anything new...but maybe they have an issue you don't have?" He suggested.

"I don't really collect or read comics." She admitted. "And unfortunately, I don't see anything that would make me change my mind."

"Oh...sorry." Rusty said, looking a little down.

"Oh no. Don't apologize, Rusty. I may not be enjoying the store, but I am enjoying spending time with you guys are great." She told him, giving him a friendly smile.

"Oh, go on…" Rusty said with a blush and a chuckle.

"If you insist…" She replied with a grin, but she paused when she spotted a display behind him. She leans over and smiles. "...hey. I didn't know they had model kits here too." Rusty blinked and turned around. She was looking at a series of kits for putting together figures of characters of varying tv shows and animes. Prominent among them was for a classic show called Star Journey.

"Yeah, they decided to branch out a bit for the super fans a few months back." Rusty explained as the two of them went over for a look.

"I wonder if them have any kits for a Graspon ship. It's one of the few I'm missing." Zanya said as she closely examined the display, her facing lighting up as she found it.

"You like Star Journey?"

"Yep. My mother's a bigger fan than me. In fact, she introduced me." She explained, tucking the box under her arm with a big smile. "I can't want to put this together when I get back. Do you think Lincoln would have any model glue handy?"

"I'd bet on it. Lincoln enjoys putting models together too." Clyde said, walking over with a copy of Ace Savvy in hand.

"So what other shows do you like?" Rusty asked, taking mental notes.

"Hmmmm. I enjoy Kitchen Inferno, Magic School Melodies, Test of Time, the live action Ace Savvy show is pretty good too…."

"How about the Shambling Cadavers?" Zach asked, pointing to a poster of the popular zombie show.

"Ugh. No way!" Zanya replied with disgust, surprising her friends. "Sorry...but me and zombie shows and media don't get along, shall we say."

"Oh. Sorry about that…" A crestfallen Zach apologized.

"It's ok, Zach. You had no way of knowing until now." Zanya told him, patting his shoulder with a small smile. Outside the store, the coated figure was watching and listening from the front display window, taking more notes. He watched as they group went to go purchase their desired items and slunk away. He looked over the notes he had taken so far.

"Ok...so far I know she likes Flippy's, a couple different shows and model kits, and loves cheese, but hates zombie related media...excellent." He raised his hat a bit with a grin, revealing it was Chandler following them. He wanted to make the best possible impression on Zanya when they got ice cream tomorrow, so he wanted to get as much of an advantage as possible. He walks away, reviewing his notes and not really looking where he was going. This lead him to run right into a gorilla of a teen, who didn't take too kindly to being bumped into. He grabbed him by the scruff of his coat and dunked him in the fountain.

* * *

"Ok, Lola...you got us all in here...what's the hold up?" An aggravated Lori asked, standing behind her desk.

"We're just waiting for Lisa. I feel she will have something vitally important to add to the meeting.

"And this meeting is about…?" Luna asked, hoping to find out what all this was about.

"Just wait a moment longer…"

"Sorry, Lola, but unless you spill the beans, I'm walking. I have things to do." Luna said firmly.

"As we all do. So either we start this meeting, or forever hold your peace." Lori looked right at Lola sternly.

"...fine. I guess it won't hurt…" Lola said with a frustrated sigh. "The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the elephant in the room...or more precisely, the zombie in the house."

"You mean, Zanya? What about her?" Lynn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I move that, for our health and safety, we convince Mom and Dad to kick her out of this house!"

"WHAT!?" Lana, Luna, Lynn and Leni all shouted in outrage, with Lucy's cry being quieter than the rest.

"How dare you even suggest such a thing…" Lucy growled, glaring at the pageant princess.

"What possible reason could you have to want her out!?" Lana demanded to know, beside herself with anger.

"Well, being that she is a zombie, she is walking, rotting body. Do you know the kinds of diseases are on a dead body!?" She looks around at her sisters, most of whom still glaring at her. "No? Well, truthfully, me neither...but it's bad from what I hear! Are we really going to allow ourselves to be subjected to these potentially deadly diseases!?"

"That's crazy talk!" Lynn snapped, resisting the urge to punch the wall. "She's not diseased!"

"Oh? Do you know that for sure!?" Lola countered. Lynn went silent, as she didn't have proof of her statement. Luan also looked unusually pensive about Lola's statement.

"Brah, you can't be seriously considering what she said…" Luna said angrily.

"Hey, don't get me wrong...I think Zanya is a great girl. But...part of what Lola says kinda makes sense...and what if she's right? What if she is loaded with all kinds of diseases? What if we catch one of them? What about Lily?" The mention of Lily was enough to give Luna pause for thought. Lola smirked, noticing her words were striking home. However, moments later, Luna shook her head.

"That's all a bunch of what if, sis, and that goes the other way too. What if she isn't? Then we're just persecuting an innocent girl over nothing."

"...good point." Luan admitted.

"Um...hello!? Zombie! She's dead! How can she not!?" Lola argued, her temper building.

"Zanya isn't a rotting body." Leni finally spoke up. "Her skin is just as clean and smooth as ours, just like her hair."

"And HOW do you know this?"

"Lori and I brushed her hair this morning to help get her ready for school."

"Ugh! You two actually TOUCHED a zombie!?" Lola looked utterly horrified and disgusted. "I expected that from Lana, but YOU TWO!?"

"Don't you think you're being entirely unreasonable? Basing your fears on preconceived notions perpetuated by media that doesn't know any better?" Lucy argued, her monotone tinged with fury.

"Well, just you wait, little miss Spooky!" The prissy six year old snapped. "As we speak, Lisa is doing a study on the filth ridden zombie. Soon enough, she will have the results and she will support that she will have to go."

"She has a name." The little goth was nearly right in the beauty obsessed twin's face.

"Alright, settle down, you two." Lori demanded, slamming her shoe against her desk like a gavel. "Lucy, as much as I hate to say it...Lola does have a point. However, she doesn't have any proof to support her claim. Before we decide on anything, let's hear what Lisa has to say."

"...that's fair, I suppose…." Lucy grumbled, backing away from her opponent.

"I believe my name is being mentioned?" Lisa said as she strolled into the room, a small smile on her face.

"Ah! Dear sister Lisa. So good of you to join us. Did your studies go well?" Lola asked in a faux sweet voice.

"Save your overly sweet words, elder sister. I am fully aware that you wish to see our guest, Zanya, expelled from our residence and hope the results of my test will justify your cause." Lisa replied, adjusting her glasses as she looked disapprovingly at her sister. Lola frowned and huffed, crossing her arms in front of her.

"So, what exactly did you find out from your tests?" Lori asked, hoping to put and end to this, one way or another.

"Ah yes. The results were most fascinating." Lisa said, her smile returning as she walked over beside the desk, climbing upon the stool beside it. "Much like the rest of you, I became curious as to the inner workings of Zanya. How can she be alive, yet dead simultaneously? So, this morning, I did a few preliminary studies on our guest from Grimwood, as well as obtaining a few samples; with her consent, of course. Upon returning home…"

"Get to the point, poindexter!" Lola screamed.

"Hmph. No respect for a good story…" Lisa grumbled, shaking her head. "...short version, my tests of the tissue sample and blood sample brought the most unexpected results. It appears that our guest is not a zombie by the traditional definition."

"Come again?" Luan asked, looking as lost as Leni on a normal day.

"You mean she isn't a living dead girl?" Luna followed up.

"Oh no. She is indeed dead. However, she is far from rotting." Lisa elaborated, getting the attention of all her sisters. "The 'blood' within her is actually a very powerful preserving agent, as well as, I suspect, the very substance giving her life. I cannot go into details, as I am still doing an in depth study, but let me say this: So long as it remains in her body, the effects of decomposition will be nonexistent."

"So what you're saying is the little lady isn't filled with corpse germs?" Luan inquired.

"Far from it. The tissue sample I tested was as clean as my own. So long as she bathes every day, like I assume she does, she has no greater risk of transmitting or catching an illness as anyone else in this household. In short, there is literally nothing 'filthy' about Zanya."

"Well, that is certainly a load off our minds." Lori said with a sigh.

"Yeah. Makes me feel bad for almost jumping on that bandwagon." Luan commented, looking slightly ashamed of herself.

"Don't sweat it, Lulu. You were worried for Lily and no one can really blame you for that." Luna said, patting her roommate on the back.

"How do you like those apples, Little Miss Neat Freak?" Lana asked with a smug grin, her twin looking utterly furious. Her key argument now lay in ruins before her.

"Well….what about her appetite!? What's to stop her from deciding we make a tastier snack!?" She suddenly yelled, waving her arms in the air.

"More nonsense." Lisa replied flatly. "I inquired further about Zanya's appetite while waiting for the bathroom this morning. It appears it is as she said earlier. Her metabolism is highly accelerated in order to keep her body going, meaning she needs to consume food more frequently than others. Failure to do so would result in terrible, debilitating hunger pains." She elaborated, leaving Lola even more furious as her final point had been rendered moot.

"Well, I think that settles that." Lucy said with a small smirk. "As you heard, Zanya is no threat to us."

"Quite right." Lisa agreed, adjusting her glasses slightly before climbing down from the stool.

"In which case, meeting adjourned." Lori said with one final slap of her shoe. The Loud sisters slowly departed from Lori and Leni's room, almost all of them put more at ease after hearing Lisa's report. Almost all, except for Lola, was had to be pushed out of the room, sputtering the whole way.

"But...but...but...but...but…."

"Better get that fixed." Luan quipped, giggling before she closed the door to her and Luna's room. The pageant participant growled with rage, storming back to her room just in time to see Lana carrying her own pillow and blanket from the room. "Lana? What are you….?" Lola asked, her befuddlement at the scene overriding her anger for a moment.

"I'm bunking with Zanya tonight….I'm not staying in a room with someone who can trash talk a friend of mine like that…" Lana replied coldly.

"But…..Fine! Stay with the zombie! See if I care!" She screamed before she ran into her room, slamming the door behind her. She placed her back against the door, sliding down to floor, sobbing angrily to herself.

* * *

Some hours later, Zanya had returned from her afternoon out with Lincoln's friends, around the same time Rita and Lynn Sr returned home from work. No one told any of them about the meeting that had taken place; no sense causing trouble where no trouble existed after all. However, over dinner (in which Lynn Sr made fish tacos for all), Zanya did tell the Loud parents about what had happened at school.

"...you cannot be serious." Rita said quietly, after a very uncomfortable silence, both of which terrified her children and her husband.

"Trust me, I wish I was joking." Zanya replied sadly. "But it's true. Principal Huggins had Coach Pacowski prevent me from participating in gym class, he himself told me I couldn't go to recess, and the librarian banned me from the library. All because he was afraid that someone would discover I was a zombie."

"And what's more, he forced Zanya and us to keep her zombified state a secret, with threat of suspension on us…" Lucy added.

"What!?" Lynn Sr snapped, rising from his seat.

"This….is unacceptable." Rita said, retaining her dangerously quiet tone. "Tomorrow, we are going to go to that school. We are going to see Principal Huggins. And we are going to explain to him, rationally, that this is not going to fly with us."

"We most certainly are." The Loud Father said with a firm nod. "No one threatens our children like that, nor our guests."

"Wow...Never saw Mom and Dad that hacked off….the big man better watch out tomorrow." Lynn Jr whispered to Zanya with a bit of a grin on her face. The rest of dinner was rather tense, not just because of Mr and Mrs Loud being upset at what they heard, but the tension between the twins. The other kids did attempt to help ease the mood with more light hearted stories of their own days, and it seemed to work. At least their parents seemed to calm down. However, neither Lana nor Lola showed any sign of cooling off. Given the frequency in which they fought, Rita and Lynn Sr didn't think much of it, but their sisters knew the nature of their conflict this time. After dinner was finished and Zanya helped Rita and Leni do the dishes, the Grimwood Girl made her way upstairs to her room. To her surprise, she found Lana in there, sitting on a little sleeping bag on the floor.

"Lana?"

"Oh, hey Zanya...can I stay here for a little while?" She asked, her eyes getting big and teary.

"I don't mind, but you'll need to tell me why." Zanya said, getting to her knees to look at her on her level.

"Lola and I...we're having a big fight…." Lana admitted. "...about you."

"Me…?"

"Lola...she said some really nasty things about you...and I wasn't going to stand for it." The tomboy twin wiped the building tears from her eyes. "She made me so angry...I had to move out of our room, or I would do something we'll all regret…"

"Oh….I see…." Zanya felt her heart drop as she heard this, a sad look on her face. "I'm sorry, Lana…."

"You have no reason to be sorry-" Lana started to say.

"No...I do. You said yourself that I was the cause of your fight…." Zanya wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her forehead against her knees. Lana frowned lightly, taking hold of her head and making the zombie gal look her in the eyes.

"No, you don't. It's Lola that caused it. Not you." Lana said firmly. "Lola is the one who can't see the forest for the trees. She's the one who's judging you without even trying to get to know you. And I'm not going to let her bad mouth you...because you're my friend." A smile slowly reappeared on the little girl's face.

"...thanks Lana." Zanya replied with a faint smile.

"So...what'd you get at the comic book store?" Lana asked, noticing the bag by the bed.

"Oh. It's a Graspon ship kit from Star Journey." She answered, pulling the box out. "I was going to put it together after dinner. Wanna help?"

"Sure." Lana said cheerfully, going to get Lincoln's model glue from his dresser. The two of them spent an hour or two before Lana's parents insisted they work on their homework. With the model half done, they decided to finish it up another day. The rest of the evening was spent doing homework, chit chatting and snacking. Lana had just finished describing the great frog rescue she and Lincoln pulled off when they heard the call for lights out. Zanya wasn't looking forward to the next day, partially because she knew it would be more of the same at school, and partially because she was worried about what would happen between the principal and the Loud parents. While she only knew him for one day, he seemed a most stubborn man and Mrs Loud looked like she wasn't going to take any flak from him. It would be the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, and she doubted that would end well. Her worries about the results of this meeting kept her awake for a good long while, not properly falling asleep till near midnight.

* * *

The next morning was the usual bedlam of a morning with the Loud Family, except for one major difference. Riding along with the kids to the elementary school were Rita and Lynn Sr, both looking serious, but calm on the outside, but prepared for war on the inside. Both had planned to travel with the kids to meet with the principal, then take a taxi to their respective jobs and Lily's daycare after. They bid the older kids good day after being dropped off and told their younger children to get to class while they took care of business. Lucy, Lana and Lola did as their parents requested, but Lisa had a job of her own to do, carrying the folder of her findings the previous day to the library. Meanwhile, Principal Huggins was in his office, putting into a shot glass, unaware of the upcoming storm. To him, this was going to be a quiet, ordinary morning. This illusion was shattered when he heard his secretary's voice over their personal intercom. "Mr Huggins, Mr and Mrs Loud here to see you."

"Hmmm? I wonder what they want?" He wondered aloud. "Meh. Probably Miss Lucy complaining about her work being censored again…." He shrugged and returned to the chair behind his desk. "Send them in." He said through the intercom. "Ah. Good morning Mrs Loud. Mr Loud. To what, or whom, do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He said, trying to be polite and diplomatic, while privately hoping this was nothing.

"We need to talk to you about Zanya." Rita said, a hard look on her face. So much for that hope. "Particularly, these absurd restrictions you've placed upon her." Principal Huggins sighed.

"I should have seen that coming…." He muttered to himself, returning to normal volume when he spoke next. "You must understand my position here, Mr and Mrs Loud…"

"Principal Huggins, you're singling Zanya out of gym and recess because she's a zombie...the way we see it, you don't have much of a position here…" Mr Loud interjected.

"...if that's what you were led to believe...you're sorely mistaken." The balding headmaster said seriously. "So, allow me to explain why I did what I had to do…." He rose from his chair, starting to walk around his desk. "Yes, I kept Zanya from participating in physical education and afternoon playtime. Yes, her being the living dead was a factor. However, it was for her protection." He explained, promenading around his office as he spoke. "It is for a similar reason I requested she keep it private. Should the student body learn that she were a ghoul, they would no doubt react with the greatest hostility. She would be relentlessly bullied, perhaps even run out of town if-"

"We heard all this already!" Rita interrupted him sharply, slapping her hand against his desk, startling the middle aged man.

"It's one thing to ask her to keep it quiet, Principal Huggins. But it's quite another thing to FORCE her to keep it quiet, and THREATEN our children to do the same. It should be Zanya's choice whether or not she tells others. I mean, you don't know that the kids will go angry mob on her. Our children took to her just fine." Mr Loud added.

"Your children are far from normal…" The principal said, turning around to stare into the furious face of Rita mere inches from his own. He knew he made a critical error.

"Care to repeat that little comment…?" She said in a low, dangerous voice.

"Ahem...what I meant was….your children have a far greater tolerance for the strange and unusual than most." He backpedaled hastily, his stoic demeanor lost to her intense glare. She seemed to accept that a little better, backing up to let him regain his composure. "But as I was saying...how do you think the other children would react if they were playing dodgeball and, all the sudden, a dodgeball takes off her head?"

"Well, if you just let her tell them right off the bat she was a zombie, they would probably help her get her head back on and help her off the field." Lynn Sr said. "Though your gym class seems to play dodgeball an awful lot...there are other sports games, you know."

"I'm sorry, Mr and Mrs Loud, but as this is my school and I don't wish to chance any trouble, my decision stands. As far as the student body needs to be concerned, she is as normal as the rest of them, and no one is to tell them otherwise." The principal said, putting his foot down both literally and figuratively. "And that is final."

"In a pig's eye it is…" Mrs Loud growled. "I will not tolerate Zanya being treated like that, nor my children being threatened.."

"I can understand that you would take exception to my incentive to keep you children quiet, though I stand by that...however, as you are not Miss Zanya's parents, you have leg to stand on there…"

"We may not be her parents, but we are her guardians while she is here and we are responsible for her!" Rita shouted, her rage building. "In my eyes, that makes her as good as my own child!"

"That's all fine and dandy, but that changes nothing. You don't wish me to use suspension to keep your children from telling others about Zanya being undead...fine. Let them talk. It will be on your head if Zanya suffers for it. How would you, as her legal guardians, like that?" He spat with pure venom right at them. They were both quiet for a moment, Lynn Sr considering what he said, Rita still looking ready to fight. "That's what I thought. The secret remains that: a secret."

"Well what about her inclusion in gym class or recess!?"

"She will still have to be excluded in order to keep the secret."

"And her ban from the library!?" Lynn Sr suddenly said, his own anger rising.

"Ah yes. That I had no hand in. That was purely Miss Dorreen's call. However, I have spoken to her and we have come up with a compromise." Principal Huggins commented, calming down.

"A….compromise?" Rita asked, her eye twitching. "What...could there possibly be to compromise…?"

"Miss Dorreen will lift Zanya's ban from the library, provided she takes some precautions to avoid, in her words, sliming up her books with her undead filth…" He could see both their faces turning red as he said that. "Remember, these are her words, not mine." He reiterated. "Anyway, she wants her to wear this whenever she enters the library." Principal Huggins opened up his closet, revealing a child sized hazmat suit inside it. Rita and Lynn Sr's jaws hung slack when they saw this. This was the last straw. However, before Rita could make her move, Lynn Sr finally exploded.

"WHAT THE 'ELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" He bellowed, slipping into his favorite british accent for a moment in his rage. His wife was thrown off completely by this, as was the principal. It was rare he screamed like this, but here he was, yelling at the top of his lungs and getting in Principal Huggins' face. "You keep talking about how you want to keep Zanya safe from being bullied and persecuted by the other students, but what do you think will happen is you force her to wear that ridiculous thing JUST TO CHECK OUT A BOOK!? She will be humiliated and endlessly teased and picked on for it! And singling her out of gym and recess!? That's just putting a spotlight on her! You're making it more likely for her to be targetted by bullies, you bloody hypocrite!" Mr Loud finally stopped yelling, taking deep breaths as he glared at the stunned man before him.

"L...Lynn…." Rita finally said in amazement.

"I...I do see your point….Mr Loud…" Stammered the fearful head of Royal Woods Elementary. "H...However, I feel it will be much worse should her true self be revealed. The lesser of two evils, as they say." If looks could harm, the ones both Loud parents were giving him right now would have obliterated him on the spot.

"This isn't over." Lynn Sr warned him, taking Rita's hand as they headed for his door. "We'll be back…."

"I can hardly wait…." Principal Huggins replied quietly and sarcastically. As the door slammed upon their department, he started to wonder to himself what he had gotten himself into, accepting this crazy student exchange proposal.

"Lynn...you were incredible…" Rita said quietly to her husband after they had left the office.

"Thanks, Rita...I just wish it had more of an impact than it did…" He said with an angry sigh.

"I can't believe how stubborn he's being…" Rita added with a growl.

"Well, he'll find out just how stubborn we can be too." Lynn Sr said, leering back at the door to Principal Huggin's office. "We'll discuss our next move when we get home tonight...perhaps with Lisa's help...and maybe Luan…"

"Lynn, we are not going to prank him..." Rita scolded him, before amending. "...yet."


	7. Chapter 7: Building BridgesReconnecting

Building bridges and reconnecting

Over the coming week, Lincoln started realize that, while Miss Grimwood's school didn't have as many classes a day as Royal Woods Elementary had, each class gave just as much homework. Fortunately for him, most of the classes were more interesting to him than at his old school, In addition, if he needed any help, his new friends were just a few doors down. However, it was still a fairly hefty workload, so he had to spend most of his saturday (which was only half a day at Grimwood's) catching up with his school work. However, Sunday was a day of rest, and Lincoln had plans for that day. First and foremost, he wanted to give his family a call; he had been feeling pretty homesick lately, missing the sounds of his sisters' voices. So after breakfast that morning, he went right to his room, grabbed his cell, and called the one sister he thought was guaranteed to have her phone with her.

* * *

Back at the Loud House…

Lori was lounging about in her room, only half listening as Leni rambled on about something new she found in a fashion magazine. She was bored out of her mind, but didn't feel much like watching tv...especially with Luan down there in one of her more 'funny' moods. She was pondering going to the mall when her phone went off. She sighed and answered it without looking. "This better be important...I'm very busy…" She grumbled.

"Sorry, Lori. If this is a bad time, I could call back-"

"Lincoln!?" Lori exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, her excitement getting Leni's attention.

"Hey Lori. Are the others there?" Lincoln asked with a soft chuckle.

"Hold the line a second. I'll gather them together." Lori said over the phone before she looked to Leni. "It's Lincoln. Get Mom, Dad and the others together in the living room. I'll be down in a moment." The second oldest sister nodded as she hurried downstairs. Meanwhile, Lori knocked on all the doors upstairs, alerting Lucy, Lola, Lisa and Lily to their brother being on the phone. Lynn, Luan, Lana, Luna and their parents were already downstairs, so Leni just had to corral them into the living room. Lori smiled as she put her phone on speaker. Lola and Lana leered at one another when they say each other, but they had previously made an agreement to keep hostilities to a minimum when Lincoln called, until they could patch things up again. "Ok, Lincoln. Everyone is here."

"Hi bro!" Lynn and Luna said with big smiles.

"Linky!" Exclaimed Leni and Lola, both excited enough to burst..

"How's it hanging there, Link?" Luan asked, smiling.

"Hey Linc!" Lynn and Lana said.

"It's been too long, big brother." Lucy said in a slightly more cheerful monotone.

"It is good to hear from you again, elder brother." Lisa intoned.

"Inkin!" Lily cheered, crawling up to the table where Lori had placed his phone.

"How are you doing there, son?" Lynn Sr asked, taking a seat at the couch by Rita.

"Everything alright there, Lincoln?" Rita asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Hello everyone. And I'm fine here, Mom, Dad." Lincoln replied. "Miss Grimwood's is great. A little spooky at first, but I've gotten used to it. I think you would love it here, Lucy."

"I thought so too, when Zanya described it to me." Lucy grinned a bit at the thought.

"Is Zanya there?"

"No. She's out with a few friends." Lori said. "But what's going on with you, little bro?"

"Well, I've been learning quite a lot here. They have some of the standard curriculum here, along with a few special lessons in magic and potions." He explained.

"Did you say magic?" Lana asked, her eyes widening. Lucy's eyes grew as well, but no one could tell.

"Yes. Real, legit magic. I can cast a few basic alteration spells myself at this point, but still have a ways to go." He continued. "Wish I could show you right now."

"So do we, brah." Luna commented. "Sounds awesome."

"And I've made quite a few friends with the girls here." His sister's suddenly got their shipping grins on their faces. "...get those looks off your faces. It's not like that." He added sternly.

"Whoa...how'd he know?" Lynn whispered to Luan.

"Have we gotten that predict-" The house jester started to ask.

"Yes you have." Lincoln answered before she could finish her sentence.

"Stop that. It's making me nervous." Lynn commented, shivering a bit.

"Tell us about them, Linky." Leni said, eager to learn more about her brother's new friends.

"Well, first, there's Sibella. I'm sending a photo right now." They all gathered close to the phone, Lori opening the messenger app to receive the picture. It was a selfie they had taken together, with Sibella leaning in like she was about to kiss his cheek.

"Awwwwwww!" All ten sisters, plus Rita and Lynn Sr cooed.

"...probably not the best one to send, but it was the best picture of her I had…" Lincoln mused, more to himself than his family.

"She's quite an attractive young lady." Lynn Sr commented.

"Yeah, brah. And it looks like she really likes ya too." Luna followed up.

"I told you it's not like that. She just really likes teasing me."

"Well, to be fair, Linc, it is really easy, and your reactions are priceless." Lynn Jr said with a giggle.

"Nevermind them, Lincoln. Tell us more about her." Lucy urged him.

"Well, for starters, and brace yourself for this Lucy...she's a vampire."

"Did...he just say...vampire?" Rita asked, dumbfounded.

"Don't toy with me like that, big brother.."

"I'm serious." Lincoln said. "She's the daughter of Count Dracula himself."

"O. !" Leni gasped. "That makes her….royalty!"

"Technically, the title of Count doesn't indicate a royal bloodline. More a link to aristocracy." Lisa corrected her. Lucy couldn't even speak. She had been thrown into a state of wonder usually associated with Lola seeing something glittery.

"I knew it…" She said to herself. "I knew vampires were real…"

"She's pretty, got a famous dad, and really likes you, Linc. You can really pick them." Lynn Jr said.

"Eeeeee! Linky's dating the daughter of a Count!" Lola squeed, giggling.

"...you're not going to drop it, no matter how many times I say it's not like that, are you?"

"No." Came ten collective voices from his sisters.

"Thought not. Anyway, she is really nice and very smart. She's been helping me with my spellcrafting when she can. Among the Grimwood girls, she's the oldest and the most respected. The unofficial leader of the group."

"Sounds like Lori, though she's more the official leader." Lana commented.

"And don't you forget it." Lori replied with a bit of a smirk.

"And here's Winnie the Werewolf, daughter of the Wolfman." He sent a selfie of himself, with Winnie sitting on his shoulder, laughing.

"She's kinda cute for a werewolf." Rita said, smiling lightly. She was beginning to notice a pattern, much like her children.

"Her hair needs a little work though…" Leni critiqued, tapping her chin.

"Nah. She's fine the way she is." Lana intervened.

"She is a bundle of energy" Lincoln started to tell them. "Swift, agile, athletic, kinda sassy at times."

"That reminds me of Junior." Lynn Sr commented.

"Awesome. When we meet, I gotta play her. What kinda sports does she play?"

"Well, I know she plays volleyball for certain. In fact, the Grimwood School is going to be having a big volleyball game with their neighbors, the Calloway Military School." Lincoln expanded upon.

"Great! Are you gonna be playing, Lincoln?" Lynn Jr asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure yet. I think we have all the players they need, but it couldn't hurt to try."

"Wow. I wish we could go see Linky and his friends play." Leni said wistfully.

"Well, while we may not be able to be there physically...I may be able to arrange a method where we can observe the game from home." Lisa said with a calculating look. "...if Lincoln can get permission from the headmistress, of course."

"I think she wouldn't mind. I'll ask a little later."

"By the way...this Calloway school. Are there any cute guys there?" Leni asked with a grin.

"There are only boys there, but as for cute...well, that would be for you to judge. I don't have any pictures of them."

"A school just for boys? How boring…" Lynn Jr scoffed.

"Well, Miss Grimwood's was an all girls school before I got here." Lincoln explained.

"Seriously? You mean you're the only boy at the school?" Lori asked in surprise.

"Guess that means Linc won't have any rivals for Sibella's affections." Luan snickered a little, earning some giggles from her family. The white haired lad didn't even dignify that comment with a response.

"Ok, girls, that's enough teasing your brother." Rita said half heartedly, though she knew it was a pointless gesture.

"Thanks Mom. Anyway, Winnie isn't as wild as one would expect from a werewolf. In fact, she's just like any other kid her age."

"Just like Zanya."

"I haven't met her in person, but I imagine as much. Next up is little Tanis." The third picture was another selfie, with the one son kneeling beside his young mummy friend, who was smiling while sucking her thumb.

"That….is the cutest little mummy ever!" Lola nearly screamed.

'Hmph. So you're alright with a mummy, but not a zombie?' Lana thought, glaring at her twin.

"She is so precious." Leni said, hardly able to contain herself. Lily giggled as she patted the phone.

"Whoa, Lily. Can't do that." Lori pulled her baby sister away from the phone. "You might hang up on your big brother."

"She's the youngest of the students and, as you probably guessed, is the daughter of The Mummy. Yes, she is adorable, but she's also very caring. It was her who really helped me when I first arrived. She….also saved my life."

"Saved your life!?" Lynn Sr jumped from his seat in shock.

"Are you alright!? You aren't hurt, are you!?" Rita asked in a panic.

"I'm fine Mom, thanks to Tanis and Milly." He said. "I just...took a wrong step and they pulled me back before I could get seriously hurt." He elaborated. He had a feeling he shouldn't have mentioned the incident at all, but since he already did, he didn't need to tell them everything. "I'm certainly watching my step more around here."

"Thank goodness...I must thank Tanis and this Milly you mentioned."

"I'll get to her in a moment. Tanis is also pretty smart for one so young, pretty good with magic and probably the best of all of us with potions."

"Hmmm. It is good to hear of others who do not let their age restrict their mental growth, even in areas of the arcane." Lisa commented with a small smile.

"Next, I'd like to introduce you to Phantasma, or Phanty, as she prefers to be called." Another selfie followed, this one depicted Lincoln getting hugged from behind by the adorable spirit.

"Is...that a ghost?" Luna could scarcely believe her eyes.

"Told you they were real." Lucy said with a smirk.

"Yes, Phanty is a ghost, daughter of The Phantom, and yes, she can go through walls and ceilings with ease. She's even more energetic than Winnie, and can be a bit of a prankster."

"She sounds like a 'spirited' one. Hahahaha! Get it?" Luan grinned expectedly at her family, receiving a laugh only from her father and….a laugh no one recognized.

"Hehehehehehehe! Good one."

"W...who said that?" Lola asked with a shaky voice.

"It sounded like it was coming from the phone…" Rita said, leaning closer to look at the screen. The Phantasma in the picture looked up at them and waved, causing everyone but Lucy to scream and jump back.

"Cool." The goth Loud commented simply.

"Phanty...are you possessing the picture?" Lincoln asked, sounding a little irritated.

"Hehehe. Sorry, Linky. I just wanted to say hi in person." Phanty apologized.

"You could have just asked me, so we wouldn't have scared the bejabbers out of them."

"Sorry again. I was just having a little fun. It was nice to meet you all." She said, looking up at the Loud family, who were starting to calm down.

"It was...interesting to meet you as well, Phantasma." Rita replied, her hand to her rapidly beating heart.

"Er...before you go, can I ask you something?" Lola said suddenly. "What do you think of our brother?"

"Linky? I adore the beans out of him. He's a real sweetheart and can really take a joke." She said with a giggle.

"Lola! Phanty!" Lincoln barked as everyone in the room laughed.

"Uh oh. I think I'm in trouble. Gotta go!" Phanty faded from the picture, giggling non stop.

"Sorry, Lincoln, but I couldn't resist." Lola said through her hysterics.

"Yeah you could..you just didn't choose to." Lincoln grumbled too low for them to hear. He would scold her properly later though. "As I was saying, Phanty is somewhat of a prankster, but she's never malicious about it. She's just a fun loving soul...literally. She's also a talented musician."

"Rocking. What does she play, brah?" Luna asked excitedly.

"Any form of piano. Grand, pipe organ, keyboard, especially the harpsichord. If it has ivories, she will tickle them masterfully."

"Sweet. Maybe she and I can jam sometime."

"Phanty had the same thought, actually. I guess great minds think alike." Lincoln commented, chuckling a little. "Else is next. Elsa Frankenteen." An image of Lincoln and Elsa casually standing side by side, arms on each other's shoulders came next.

"Um...are you sure you don't mean Frankenstein?" Lana asked, a little confused.

"No. Frankenteen. But from what she tells me, it's a common and easy mistake to make. The Frankenstein Monster is her second uncle. Her father is Frankenteen Senior." Lincoln explained.

"I assume they were created in a similar manner." Lisa commented.

"Probably a safe assumption. And I think you would like Elsa, Lisa, because she's really into science too."

"Truly? I look forward to a potentially enlightening conversation when we meet." The little genius said with a light smile.

"Not only is Elsa smart, but she's the calmest of all of us. I've never seen her get angry or frustrated. And strong...I've seen her lift a boulder at least three times her size."

"Whoa. Now that I have to see. Tell me you got a vid, bro." Lynn Jr grinned at the phone, looking at the screen expectantly.

"Sorry, Lynn. Maybe next time." Lynn simply huffed in disappointment.

"She sounds like a balanced individual: balanced in mind, body and spirit." Lucy commented in her droning tone.

"She kinda is. It can be a little tricky figuring out how she feels, but she is usually pretty open and honest about it." A new picture appeared, showing Gosuki kinda crushing Lincoln as he took a selfie with her.

"What in the world!?" Lori screamed upon seeing the young kaiju.

"A dinosaur? Remarkable…" Lisa muttered quietly.

"Actually, she's a kaiju. Her name is Gosuki, daughter of Godzilla." Lincoln corrected her.

"Whoa whoa whoa! THE Godzilla!?" Lana cried, slamming her hands on the coffee table as she leaned right over the phone.

"Uh….yes…" Lincoln answered, a little confused.

"Lincoln...if you meet Godzilla and DON'T try to get me his autograph, I will never forgive you." Lana said in a quiet, serious voice.

"Er...don't worry, Lana. I'll...see what I can do." Her big brother replied nervously.

"Thanks Linc! You're the best!" She chirped, cheerful once more.

"Right….anyway, Gosuki has been nice enough to me, but she can be a little awkward about interacting with me."

"What do you mean?" Lynn Sr asked.

"She's not used to being around humans, from what I can tell. so she's a bit rough with me. She doesn't mean anything by it, I know, but it still hurts."

"Have you tried talking to her about it, sweetie?" Rita suggested.

"Not yet. I want to pick my words carefully. The last thing I want to do is offend her."

"Probably a wise choice." Lori admitted, looking apprehensively at the picture.

"Apart from that, she is an aspiring artist, though she can't really make up her mind what kind of art she wishes to week, she's sculpting. Last week, she was painting."

"Is she good?" Leni asked curiously.

"Yeah, she is. She has a knack for picking up a new art and getting the hang of it rather quickly from what I've seen and heard. There are two other students here too, but I can't really say we're friends." Lincoln admitted, sounding a little sad about it.

"Why's that?" Luan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"One of them, Gila, daughter of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, is scared to death of me and M-149 (aka Milly) is a young martian who just doesn't like Earthlings." He explained.

"A martian you say? I wonder…." Lisa stepped away from the phone to look out the window, pensively looking to the sky.

"What is she even doing at an Earth school if she doesn't like Earth people!?" Lynn Jr asked, sounding very annoyed.

"I wish I had an answer, but she won't even speak to me unless she absolutely has to or to say how superior Martians are. The only ones she really seems friendly toward are Gila, Tanis or Miss Grimwood."

"Then...why did she help you? You said before she saved you." Lola pointed out.

"Because Tanis asked her."

"So you're saying she wouldn't have helped if Tanis weren't helping?" Lynn Jr inquired through gritted teeth. Lincoln didn't answer, not wanting to even think about it. Fortunately, their father was there to change the subject.

"Well, what about this Gila girl? Why is she afraid of you?"

"That I can answer. Apparently, she's heard tales of fishing humans and she's worried I will cook her up and eat her." He elaborated. "She thinks humans are insatiable fish eating monsters."

"Well, we do eat fish…." Luna said. "...but insatiable monster...that's going a bit far." She added incredulously.

"Especially for you, Lincoln. No offense, but I don't even anyone could ever be scared of you." Lola said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I wish that were the case, Lola. I have been trying to give her space so she doesn't have a panic attack, but it gets kinda difficult sometimes, especially during classes." He sighs for a moment before he said. "I don't suppose you have any advice for this situation, Mom? Dad?"

"Well, I'd say the fact you're showing consideration for her feelings by trying not to trigger her fears is a good start." His mother responded sagely. "Though eventually, she is going to need to confront this fear. Perhaps you could offer to help her in that respect, at her own pace."

"As for M-149, I would suggest that you simply ignore her." Lisa spoke up from her place at the window. "I strongly suspect that very little you can do will change her opinion on the people of Earth. I'm not saying do not be civil, which I assume you have been, but do not attempt to drive yourself crazy being too nice to her. It won't be worth the effort."

"What makes you so sure of that, Lisa?" Lincoln asked.

"Let's just say I know people who know extraterrestrials." Lisa commented vaguely. "I am not at liberty to say anything more."

"...If you say so, Lisa."

"What about Miss Grimwood? What is she like?" Lucy asked.

"She's probably one of the nicest teachers and head mistresses I've ever met." Lincoln said, smiling a bit. ""She's able to cover so much with each class and she teaches practically every class herself."

"Goodness! How does she manage it?" Rita questioned, awe in her voice.

"I'm not sure, but being a witch might help."

"Lincoln! That is not a nice thing to say!"

"No no. You misunderstand. I mean that literally. She's a witch; a practitioner of magic."

"Oh...sorry Lincoln.I guess I'm so used to hearing that as an insult."

"Don't worry about it, Mom."

"Speaking of Miss Grimwood…." Lynn Sr started to say, but before he could say anything more, Rita stopped him.

"Not yet, dear...not unless Zanya says she wants to go that far." She whispered. "As much as I would like to inform her about what's been going on, escalating things too quickly may cause more issues for her than they solve."

"...what was that?" Lincoln asked, wondering what his father wanted to say.

"...tell her we said hello please, son." Lynn Sr finished his sentence, though not with the words he wanted to.

"Uh….sure thing." His son responded, a little confused.

"Have you called Ronnie Anne yet?" Lori asked suddenly, thankfully pulling Lincoln's attention away from their father's unusual behavior.

"Not yet, but I've texted her before bed every night. I will try and call her a little later." He told her. "And I'll probably call Zanya to see how she's doing too."

'Probably a good idea.' Rita thought to herself. 'The poor dear has had it pretty rough.'

"I think that covers everything….oh wait. There is one other thing I almost forgot." Lincoln snapped his fingers as he remembered something. "I heard that on Halloween, there is an open house at Grimwood's. You'll probably receive an invitation sometime soon. It would be a good opportunity for you guys to meet Miss Grimwood, the girls and their families in person."

"Zanya told us about that." Rita told him. "And most of us are really excited for it. I don't think we'll all be able to come, but goodness knows we'll try."

"Great. I look forward to seeing you." Lincoln said.

"Likewise, elder brother." Lisa responded.

"So what's been going on over there with you guys?"

"Oh, you know. The usual, Lincoln." Lori said, which was true for the most part. "Lisa with her science, Luna with her music, Lana and Lola fighting…"

"Sssshhh!" The twin hushed her.

"How about work? Everything alright there, Mom and Dad?"

"Well enough. Had kind of a rough day yesterday when this crazy man came in with a lego hot glued into his gums...I have no idea what he was thinking, don't want to know." Rita shuddered a bit at the thought of that patient.

"And the restaurant has been doing quite well. Busy as usual." Lynn Sr added.

"Glad to hear it. Well, I'm sure you've all got a busy day ahead, so I won't keep you any longer. I'll try and call again soon; perhap arrange a visit next sunday."

"That would be lovely, Lincoln. Thank you so much for calling us and letting us know you're doing well." Rita said.

"Hope you continue to enjoy yourself there, sport." Lynn Sr added.

"Bye Lincoln/Linky!" His sistered called together.

"Bye everyone. Love you all." He responded to them before he hung up.

* * *

Lincoln smiled brightly as he hopped off his bed, ready to face the rest of his day with renewed vigor. He figured he would start by going to see Miss Grimwood; he wanted to ask her a few things while he had an opportunity. He strode out of his room and started down the hall, headed for her study. However, a couple steps out and he spotted Gila headed right down the hall right for him. Her eyes fell upon him and she froze. After a few awkward seconds, he starts to back up and re-entered his room to allow her to pass. He sighed as he started hearing her footsteps, but then realized this could be a ideal chance to talk to her. "Gila…" He said when he heard her footsteps outside his room, right on the other side of the wall. "...can I talk with you a moment, please?" The creature's daughter stopped again, looking toward the open door to his room, shaking a little.

"I….I guess…" She said, clearly a little frightened.

"You can stay out there while we talk, if it helps. I'll stay right here."

"I...I think it will….thank you…"

"Welcome. How are you doing today?" He inquired, trying to start things off with pleasant, polite conversation.

"Alright, I suppose….what did you want to talk about…?"

'So much for putting her at ease with a little small talk first…' Lincoln thought sadly. "...I wanted to talk to you a little bit about...well...you being afraid of me." The hall was silent, but he didn't hear her leave, so he assumed he could continue. "I understand you heard some bad things about humans, and I get that it scares you. I really do. Trust me, I know what fear is like. But I want you to know that I don't mean you any harm. I promise."

"...I know." She squeaked, almost inaudibly. "But I can't help it…."

"I know. Like I said, I know what fear is like. My older sister, Leni, is afraid of spiders, and I was terrified of The Harvester for the longest time." He admitted to her, leaning against the wall. "And I know it can be a struggle to kick a fear."

"I'm sorry…."

"It's ok, Gila."

"How can you say that? You keep going out of you way, trying to keep from scaring me…"

"Because I don't hold it against you, Gila. In fact, I want to help you, if you'll allow me." He waited for a response from her, but when none came, he proceeded to say. "It's purely up to you, of course. I won't force you if you don't want to. But regardless, if you want to talk, my door is always open...or closed, if it makes you feel better."

"...I'll think about it. Thank you, Lincoln…" Gila said softly.

"Anytime, Gila. That's all I wanted to say. Hope you have a good day."

"...you too." Lincoln waited for a little while as he heard his fishy classmate walk away from his room. When he couldn't hear her anymore, he departed from his room and went on his way toward Miss Grimwood's office. What he didn't know was that Gila was watching him from the end of the hall, visually and internally confused and conflicted.

* * *

It took Lincoln a little while to relocate the headmistress' study, since he had only been there once. The manor may not look too big on the outside, but it was a regular maze on the inside. He had gotten the route to his room, the dining room, the bathroom and the classrooms down pat, but there was still a lot to see and explore. Fortunately, by retracing his steps from the entry hall, he was able to find the study. Finding the door closed, he gently rapped his knuckles on the door.

"Come in." came the motherly voice of Miss Grimwood. Lincoln opened the door and stepped inside.

"Good morning, Miss Grimwood." He greeted her cheerily.

"Ah. Good morning, Lincoln. What brings you here this morning?" She responded with a bright smile.

"I just needed to ask you a few things, if I may." He said, taking a seat in front of her desk.

"Be my guest,dear. What's on your mind?"

"I've heard a few times about this 'Revolta incident' since I've been here. Could you tell me more about that incident?"

"I don't see why not. It happened the previous year, not long after Halloween. Revolta, the witch of the web, had cast a spell upon our ex coach, Shaggy Rogers, convincing him to take my girls into her domain: the Barren Bog." Miss Grimwood brought out a small crystal ball, placing it on her desk. Waving her hand over it, she brought forth an image of the multi armed, hideous hag of the bog, Revolta. "Her plan was to turn the girls evil, making her the most powerful monster of all."

"What happened to her?" Lincoln asked, looking a little disgusted by the spidery witch.

"Well, thanks to the courage of Shaggy and his canine friends, Scooby and Scrappy Doo, the Calloway Cadets, and a little quick thinking from my girls, Revolta's master plan was foiled." She waved her hand over the ball again, showing the final events of the incident as it was explained to her: Tanis stealing her wand, Elsa tossing it into her cauldron, the Cadets saving them all from the exploding potion, and Revolta getting fried by magical backlash from the failed spell, her castle being reduced to rubble. "After that, I personally swept the grounds, clearing it of her spy plants, while the fathers of my students went hunting for her. From what they tell me, they couldn't find her. She isn't foolish, after all. She played a dangerous game, going after the daughters of some of them most powerful monsters of all, and she lost that game. With her power all but gone and none by her Grim Creeper to help her, I believe she won't be coming out of hiding for a good, long time."

"I can see why you would increase security." Lincoln replied with a nod. "That sounds absolutely terrifying."

"It was, young man. The most terrifying part being it all happened right under my nose...my dear students placed in mortal danger and I was utterly oblivious…." Her face fell, a look of guilt taking over. "If not for Shaggy and the Doos….I still have nightmares about the possibility…" The middle Loud felt a pang of sympathy for her, reaching out to place a hand on hers. Her tone suddenly became more serious and positively dangerous, leaving Lincoln taken aback. "...I didn't plan to make the same mistake again. After clearing the grounds of her spyplants, I covered the entire grounds with sensory spells, protective runes and trap hexes. You and the girls probably don't notice them, nor do the Calloway Cadets. But if you were a stranger on my property, I would be alerted to your presence. No disguise nor spell of concealment would protect a potential intruder. And if my traps don't get them, they would face the full wrath of Abigail Grimwood...and heaven help whoever tries…" Miss Grimwood took a deep breath, calming herself down. "Sorry, dear, but it was a troubling time for all of us."

"I understand...sorry for bringing it up…"

"Oh, no no. You have a right to know, Lincoln. I would have told you myself sooner or later. Now, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Actually, there is. I told my family about the big volleyball game against the Calloway Cadets…." Lincoln started to say.

"...and I guess your family would like to witness the game and show their support for you and our school?" Miss Grimwood asked, her smile returning.

"Yes, but with a family as large as ours, it would be pretty tricky to get the whole clan here, especially with how far apart we are. Lisa has an idea of how to make it work though...I assume by streaming the game to our tv at home. She didn't really elaborate. But she wanted your ok before she did anything."

"I see. Well, I have no problem with that. I think it's a fine idea." She said.

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood. I'll make sure to text her right away."

"You're quite welcome."

"Oh, and my parents say hello." Lincoln added, chuckling a bit.

"Well, wasn't that nice of them? Please give them my regards in return, next time you speak to them, dear." She responded, smiling brightly at him.

"I will, Miss Grimwood. I think that's everything I needed to ask and tell you. Thank you for your time." The young boy said, rising from his seat.

"But of course. Have a good sunday, Lincoln." She waves her hand slightly to him.

"Same to you, Miss Grimwood. Bye." He waves back to her, hurrying out of the study to head outside.

* * *

Out on the volleyball court beside the old finishing school, the eight girls were setting themselves up to practice their volleyball game. Four each were positioned on either side of the net: Sibella, Winnie, Gosuki, and Gila on one side, and Elsa, Milly, Tanis and Phantasma on the other. Elsa was holding the ball and was getting ready to serve when Lincoln had finally arrived. "Hey Linc. Just in time." Winnie commented, smiling at her human friend. "We were just about to get started."

"Would you be so kind as to act as referee for a little while, Lincoln?" Sibella asked as she did some stretching exercises. "We'll all take turns rotating in and out so we can all get some practice in."

"Sure thing, Sibella." He responded. It was just as well; he needed a moment to rest after jogging the whole way here. He positioned himself beside the net, observing as the girls started to practice. He wasn't the only one, however. A pair of small rc cars rolled across the grass and parked themselves a couple yards from the field in some patches of crabgrass. On top of each car were little cameras, aimed right at the volleyball court.

* * *

"Ok. We have visuals." Miguel said as a pair of screens he and Simon were sitting in front of sprang to life. The two of them each had remote controls in their hands, their fellow cadets standing behind them inside their barracks.

"Good work, Miguel." Tug said, giving his tech savvy friend a hearty pat on the back. The first camera zoomed in enough to see both sides of the field just as Elsa made her first serve.

"Elsa is still a key threat, because of her strength." Jamal commented as he took notes. "Grunt, you will be essential in countering her."

"Gotcha." The bulky cadet replied, smirking.

"Winnie's agility will also be a problem." Tug said as the little werewolf leaped high enough to spike the ball back, where Phantasma drifted over quickly enough to dig the ball back over. "Same with Phantasma."

"I wonder why they never fouled her and Sibella for flying during our match last time…" Grunt pondered out loud.

"Why didn't they foul us for using that jet pack?" Jamal countered logically.

"Oh...good point."

"That big lizard covers a lot of ground." Baxter pointed out as Gosuki sent the ball back over the net with her tail. "A clear defensive threat. We should try and hit the ball well away from her."

"Good call, little buddy." Miguel said.

"The little one doesn't seem like she has much to offer.." Mel monotoned, pointing to Milly as she jumped up to set the ball, but it didn't quite make it over.

"Don't sell her short, Mel. Take Tanis. She's small, but she's tricky." Tug warned his comrade, who barely even reacted in return. "Simon. Any input you'd like to add?" He turned to the second screen, where he found Sim's camera was pointed at Sibella and zoomed in very close to her.

"What a knockout…" He muttered, just in time to get smacked in the back of the head.

"Focus, Don Wrong." Tug quipped. "We're looking for strategy and secrets here…"

"You are. I'm looking at all the lovelies next door." Simon responded, ducking just in time to avoid another smack.

"Grunt, take over."

"Ah, you're all no fun…." The weasely cadet grumbled as he was forcibly removed from his seat by his much brawnier compatriot.

"So, any sign of that Lincoln kid?" Tug asked, returning his focus to Miguel's screen.

"He appears to be sidelining at the moment." The inventor of the crew said, turning his camera to the white haired boy.

'So long as he keeps his mind on his duty and off Sibella…' The blonde leader of the cadets thought to himself.

* * *

"That last shot was out." Lincoln called out, as the ball landed just outside the line.

"Ah nuts…" Winnie growled, as it was her last set that caused the ball to go wide. The middle loud picked the ball up and tossed it to Gila. As play continued, Lincoln could already see who their prime players would be. Elsa, of course, was a powerhouse at serving, Gosuki had strength and area coverage, and Winnie, Sibella and Phanty could move quickly around the field. That wasn't to say Tanis and Gila didn't have strong points. Both were somewhat quick and Tanis had some strength to her as well. Milly, on the other hand, didn't appear to really be trying. She had talked a big game several times of martian superiority, but he was certainly not seeing it here.

"Nice shot Tanis!" Lincoln called out as she bumped the ball back to the other side and it landed just out of Elsa's reach.

"Thanks Lincoln." She replied with a smile.

"Hey, Winnie, why don't you take a breather and give Lincoln a chance to practice?" Elsa suggested.

"I'm not that tired, but alright." The werewolf girl shrugged her shoulders and swapped with Lincoln. Each of the girl's changed position, switching the teams up a little. Tanis, Sibella and Phanty ended up with Lincoln, while Gila and Milly teamed with Elsa and Gosuki.

"Here you go, Lincoln. Give it your best." Sibella said, handing her human friend the ball.

'Here goes nothing.' Lincoln thought to himself as he readied himself to serve the ball. He struck the ball and sent it skyward..and it landed just short of the net. M-149 started laughing, as did Winnie, Phanty and Gosuki (though Gosuki and Phantasma were only laughing because others were). Tanis and Sibella looked sympathetically at Lincoln as his cheeks turned red.

"It's ok, Lincoln...have another try." Tanis brought the ball over to him, giving him an encouraging smile. "You can do it."

"Heh. Thanks Tanis." He gave her a weak smile in return before trying it again. This time, his serve managed to reach the net and hit the top of it before tumbling back to their side.

"Hahahahahahaha! At least it reached the net this time!" Milly taunted. She was the only one laughing this time.

"That's quite enough of that…" Sibella scolded Milly, giving her the evil eye, which shut the little alien up. Elsa tapped her chin for a moment, deep in thought before she crossed over to the other side and walked over to Lincoln, whispering into his ear.

"You think that will help?" He asked the reanimated teen.

"Sure thing. Couldn't hurt to try." Elsa responded before hurrying back to the other side of the net. He wasn't sure about the advice Elsa just gave him, but she was right: it couldn't hurt to try. He already had Milly (and though he didn't know it, the Calloway Cadets) laughing at him. How much worse could it get? He takes a deep breath, winds up, and serves the ball one more time.

"That's the way to do it!" Winnie cheered as the ball easily sailed over the net. Gosuki was right there to send it back with a well placed bump. Lincoln moved to save it, but instead of hitting his arms, it hit him right on the head. Fortunately, it did bounce the spheroid back.

"That's using your head, Linky!" Phantasma called, giggling softly.

"Milly, come over here!" Gila called to her alien friend, kneeling down to give her a boost. She nodded and ran over, her friend giving her a boost, propelling M-149 high enough to spike the serve back. Once more, the orb flew toward Lincoln, slamming him right in the face.

"Oooooh….and that's using your face…." Winnie winced as her friend fell onto his back. The girls, minus Milly, ran over to him to make sure he was alright. Even Gila got close, but froze up before she could get beside him.

"Lincoln? Lincoln!? Are you alright?" Sibella asked, elevating his head a bit. The human lad groaned and opened his eyes. His face was all red, just like last time.

"...did anyone get the number of that truck…?" He asked in a dazed manner.

"149." Milly responded, still waiting at her position, getting angry looks from most of the girls.

"Come on, Lincoln...let's get you back to school." Elsa offered, helping the human boy up.

"No. No, I'm fine." He said, though he still looked unsteady on his feet.

"Well, at very least take a moment to recover, Lincoln." Tanis said firmly, taking his hand and almost forcefully taking him off the court.

"Well, if you insist." He replied, taking a seat on a rock. He stopped seeing double by the time they started again. The girls volleyed the ball back and forth a couple times, with Winnie and Phanty getting more intense as the deadlock continued. A powerful spike flew right toward Tanis, who screamed softly, holding her fists up to block it. The ball bounced off her fists, hit the net, and was catapulted off the web like net, right toward Lincoln. "Not again…" He whimpered as once more he was clocked right in the face with the call.

"Gasp! Lincoln! I'm so sorry!" Tanis ran over to the once more injured Loud, who was literally seeing stars. She had tears spilling from her eyes. "Lincoln! Speak to me! Tell me you're alright! Please!" She cried.

"I think….my face….is a volleyball magnet…" He moaned, this being the third time in the space of a week he's been clobbered in the kisser with a ball. His words brought a sigh of relief to the distraught little mummy.

"Elsa, help Tanis bring Lincoln to his room." Sibella instructed, her heart aching a bit to see the lad in pain. "Don't take no for an answer."

"Right away, Sib." Elsa saluted her and walked over to pick the pained Lincoln up and carry him off toward the school, closely followed by Tanis.

* * *

"Wow. I gotta give the guy credit. He can take a hit." Grunt commented after Lincoln took the second blow to the face.

"Three direct hits, two of which from monster girls...it's a miracle his nose isn't broken." An awestruck Jamal said.

"Nevermind him for now. It looks like the girls are about to continue." Tug said, getting his team back on focus, all the while thinking 'Heh. Few more hits like that, we'll see how Sibella likes him then.'

* * *

When Lincoln came back to his senses, he was already in bed, a slightly larger than usual BunBun in one arm, and Tanis holding on to his other hand, Elsa placing a cold cloth on his forehead. "How'd I get here…?" He asked weakly.

"I brought you here, my friend." Elsa replied. "Do you remember what happened?"

"...yeah, kinda. I got hit in the face with a volleyball...again."

"It was my fault, Lincoln...I'm sorry…" Tanis looked on the verge of tears again.

"Tanis, it was an accident. You didn't mean for it to happen." He tried to reassure her, gently petting her head and smiling weakly.

"I still hit the ball that hurt you…"

"It wasn't your fault...it was just….a bit of misfortune." He was about to say bad luck, but those were the last words he wanted to say or hear.

"I think he'll be just fine." Elsa said, after she dipped the towel in some cold, clean water and reapplied it to his head. "Come on, Tanis. Let's go. Lincoln's gonna need his rest."

"But….I want to make sure he gets better….please, let me stay, Lincoln…" She gave him the big, sad eyes that he could hardly resist when his sisters used them.

"...It's ok, Elsa. If it makes her feel better, she can stay." The daughter of Frankenteen looked between them, then smiled softly.

"Alright. I'll see you two at dinner. Get well, Linc."

"I will. Thank you, Elsa."

"Anytime." Elsa waved to her friends before she departed, closing the door to his room as she left.

"Thank you, Lincoln. I promise I will help you feel better." Tanis said, climbing onto the bed and sitting beside him.

"You're doing wonders already just by caring so much." Lincoln responded, sitting up and giving her a one armed hug, which she returned with gusto. "But, could give me a moment? I wanna call my friend, Ronnie Anne, real quick."

"Ronnie Anne? That girl who was punching you in that picture you showed us?" Tanis frowned as she remembered that picture.

"It's like I said, she doesn't mean anything by it. She does it to all her friends." He said, which was true as far as he knew.

"...alright. I'll be right outside." The little mummy slowly stepped out of the room as Lincoln picked up his phone. He found Ronnie Anne's number in his contacts list and pushed the button to call her. After a couple seconds, he ended up getting her voice mail.

"Hmmm. She must be busy at the skatepark, or helping her brother out." He thought out loud. "Hello, Ronnie Anne. It's Lincoln. I tried to call you, but I guess you're busy. Give me a call back when you can. Thanks. Smell ya later." He said for the message before he hung up. "Ok, Tanis. I'm done."

"That was fast." Tanis commented, still frowning.

"I got her voicemail." He explained. "I'm thinking she was out skating, or helping her brother at the Bordega."

"The what?" Tanis looked kind of confused.

"It's the store owned by Ronnie Anne's family in the city, the Casagrande's. Her older brother and my sister Lori's boyfriend, Bobby, is learning to run the place, so she helps him out where she can." Tanis blinked in surprise when she heard this. Perhaps she misjudged her.

"..do you think she hits her brother too?"

"I'd be very surprised if she hadn't." Lincoln told her. "My sisters and I fight all the time, sometimes physically."

"You hit your sisters!?" A shocked mummy asked.

"Do I look insane?" Lincoln chuckled. "I'd be dead meat if I tried that. If Mom and Dad didn't get me, my sisters would...and most of them are much stronger than I am. But my point is that sometimes siblings fight. But in the end, we still love each other, and the same goes with Ronnie Anne and her brother." Any doubts Tanis had before had finally dissolved as her adorable smile returned. If Lincoln was willing to defend her this hard, she must be a true friend. She climbs back onto his bed and made herself comfortable next to him, ready to keep him company until he felt better, passing the time exchanging stories between one another.


	8. Chapter 8: 'Date' with Chandler

_AN: Chapters may slow down a little bit after this one. Gonna be moving fairly soon. I will try and put out at least one more chapter before I move though, else I will post a new chapter as soon as I can. And apologies if this one is kinda short._

* * *

Her "Date" with Chandler

The next couple days were somewhat an improvement for Zanya. She was still prohibited from participating in gym and recess (which more annoyed her than upset her at this point), but thanks to Lisa's studies, Miss Dorreen lifted her ban from the library...sort of. The neat freak librarian intended to keep a close eye on her whenever she paid her a visit. What really helped, however, were the friends she had made. When she was forced to sit aside at gym, one of Lincoln's friends would keep her company if they were declared 'out' or when it was no longer their turn. And whenever she had to stay inside during recess, one or two of them would stay inside with her. It made the time spent unable to participate more bearable. About the only other problem she had was the occasional run in with Malora, but Zanya didn't usually pay her any mind. The worst she would do was do a walk by insult, and that was only during lunch and every once in a while after school. "Well, if it isn't Porky Pig?" She said, during one of her more annoying moments on a monday afternoon when she caught the zombie girl alone. "Where are the rest of the Looney Tunes?" Zanya rolled her eyes while Malora's 'friends' (both of which blonde haired girls, a little taller than Malora, and wearing very similar outfits to her. One had green eyes, the other red eyes) laughed.

'It's been nearly a week and you still can't think of something to make fun of other than my condition? Real creative….' Zanya thought derisively as she walked through the hall, not even looking at the self important brat behind her.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, Porky!" Malora yelled at her.

"And I'm ignoring you, Elmer." Zanya finally replied, still not even sparing her tormentor a glance. A few of the students in the halls snickered while Malora grinded her teeth in anger. Being ignored was one thing for her, but no one dared speak to her like that. She charged forward and grabbed Zanya by the shoulder, forcing her to turn around.

"You think you're funny, lard butt!?"

'You think at all?' Zanya thought, but didn't verbalize.

"You don't know who you're messing with…" Malora growled, grabbing Zanya by the collar of the dress Leni had given her.

"I could say the same to you."

"...well, let me explain it to you, Wednsday…."

'There you go. Making fun of my pale skin instead. See what happens when you try.' Zanya snickered a bit at the thought, which infuriated the spoiled brat before her. If she had actually said what she was thinking, Malora would have no doubt lost it completely.

"I am Malora Lesrec, star of the little screen and soon the big screen. My parents are very powerful people, especially in this town. If I really wanted to, I could end you an instant…"

'Too late.'

"...so if you know what's good for you, you'll watch your mouth, and your back." Malora concluded, still glaring her right in the eyes.

"You don't scare me, Malora." Zanya said to her, looking unimpressed by her attempt to intimidate her. That was the last straw for the bullying girl. She threw a punch at the Grimwood girl's face, her fist landing right in Zanya's waiting palm. Her fingers snapped shut like a trap around Malora's fist. The mean blonde tried to pull her hand back, but her 'victim's' grip was like iron. She wasn't crushing, or even squeezing Malora's hand; just holding it as she pulled and tugged to try and free herself, becoming more frantic with each second. Zanya released her hand after a few seconds, smirking ever so slightly as she turned and walked away from the gobsmacked Malora.

"W...what was that?" She asked quietly.

"Want us to go get her…?" Her red eyed friend whispered to her, glaring at the ghoul girl as she strolled down the hall.

"No...she's tougher than she looks…" Malora muttered back. "We'll get her. Make no mistake...we just need a different strategy…."

Zanya had a small smile on her face as she walked through the hall, popping a few cheese cubes into her mouth. She had a slight feeling of satisfaction, thinking Malora would think twice before trying anything physical again.

"There you are." Stella commented as she waited outside for her bus. "You look happy."

"I had a little run in with Malora. She tried to get under my skin, then tried to hit me." Zanya explained.

"That doesn't sound like a reason to smile…"

"Yeah, well, let me show you something." She takes hold of her hand as if she were shaking it. Stella raised an eyebrow for a moment and tried to pull her hand out. To her surprise, she couldn't. She pulled a few times, then yanked a few more.

"Wow. That's some grip." Stella commented, impressed.

"Thanks. Malora thought so too, when she tried to punch me." Zanya said, after letting her hand go. "I doubt she'll try it again soon."

"Nerves of steels, Zanya." Stella giggled lightly, giving her a little fist bump. "So, got any plans today?"

" Yeah. I'm meeting Chandler at the ice cream store." The undead girl answered. "We were supposed to go a few days ago, but he ended up catching a cold, somehow."

"Chandler? He's one of the most popular guys in school."

"He is?"

"Mm Hmm. However, that does come with quite an ego. You might want to be careful." Stella cautioned her.

'Hmmm. Lori said the same thing. I wonder if they're right….well, he deserves a chance.' She thought with a nod. "Thanks Stella, but I'll be fine."

"If you say so. Catch you later, Zan."

"Wait. Stella, before you go...could you do me a little favor?" Zanya asked, gently taking hold of her friend's arm.

"Sure thing. What can I do for you?" Stella replied.

"Could you ask the others to meet me at The Loud's house after dinner tonight?" Zanya's eyes were wide and pleading. "There's something I need to tell you all."

"Uh….sure Zan. I'll see you tonight then." Stella was a combination of concerned and intrigued, wondering what was so important that it had to wait until then.

"Thanks so much. See ya, Stella." She let got of her taller friend and waved as she made her way across town to a little ice cream shop called 'Here's the Scoop'. The inside had only two tables and four booths, but there were a number of patio seats outside. The interior had a winter theme with the decor; kind of cliche, but pleasant to look at. She spotted Chandler inside already, waiting at one of the booths. She waved to him through the window before she stepped inside.

"Hey there, Zanya. Glad you found the place ok." Chandler said with a grin.

"Hello Chandler. How was your day at school?" She asked politely as she sat down across from him.

""Eh. Same old, same old." Chandler replied. "I swear they make school boring on purpose…"

"Ah, it's not that boring. I mean, it's not as exciting as Miss Grimwood's finishing school, but it has its moments."

"If you say so. So, what kind of ice cream do you fancy? My treat."

"That's very sweet of you. I think I'll keep it simple with a chocolate cone." Zanya replied.

"One chocolate cone and one vanilla caramel milkshake." Chandler called to the employee at the counter. "So, tell me about yourself, Zanya."

"Not much to tell, truth be told." Though in her mind, she wished she could. As it stood, she was taking a major risk with what she planned later. "I like building model kits, playing soccer and volleyball...I have a general fondness for outside activities in general."

"You don't say? I like hanging out at Gus' Game n Grub. They have lots of games to play there." Chandler explained, with a light smirk.

"Oh yeah. Clyde and the others told me about Gus' when we passed it a few days back."

"No fooling? Maybe we can drop by after we're done with our ice cream." He suggested, hoping she would go for it. "They have great pizza there, and some of the best garlic knots."

"Hmmmm. I don't know. I'm not that big into video games. I'm more of an active girl." She replied after considering it for a moment. "On the other hand, the sound of pizza is tempting."

"That's cool. They have a game for that too." The popular boy before her said, trying to coax her into going to Gus' as their ice cream arrived at their table.

"Thank you." Zanya said as she took her cone from the attendant. Chandler didn't say a word to him; sending up a red flag to Zanya.

"So, did you see the latest episode of 'Kitchen Inferno' last night?" Chandler asked as he mixed up the caramel sauce with the milk and ice cream in his shake.

"I wish. I ended up watching 'Dream Boat' with the Loud sisters..which turned out to be really enjoyable. Especially watching them argue about who should have been eliminated." The zombie girl giggled at the memory. "Did I miss a good episode?" Chandler froze up a bit. He hadn't watched it himself. He was just trying to use the information he had gathered at the mall to impress her.

"I was actually hoping you could tell me. I missed it too. Mom told me homework first." He lied, thinking on his feet.

"Ah well. There's always reruns." The Grimwood gal replied with a shrug, buying his story. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sipped his shake.

'That was close. I better be more careful or this little beauty won't even give me time of day.' He thought to himself. "What do you think of our little town, so far?" He asked, not wishing her to grill him for info about the show.

"I think it's a lovely place...minus Flip's. That place is kind of gross. But that and what's been going on at school aside, I'm enjoying my time here." Zanya explained between licks of her ice cream cone.

"Cool." He replied simply.

"Well, well, here's something I never thought I'd see." Came the voice of Malora from the entrance to the ice cream parlor. Chandler turned his head while Zanya simply rolled her eyes. Someone just didn't know when to leave well enough alone, she thought. "Chandler and a pig sharing a booth." The popular girl said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What's up, Malora?" Chandler asked, sounding a little annoyed at her presence.

"I was just wondering if you were up to leaving the swine behind and heading to the movies."

"No thanks. I'm spending time with this lovely lady." He gestured toward the Grimwood girl across from him, making her blush as she licked her ice cream.

"Lovely? Chandler, have you had eye surgery recently? Just look at her."

"Gladly." He turned to look right at Zanya, who was bright red in the cheeks. Malora's temper was starting to rise again.

"Are you seriously telling me you'd rather date this tub of guts over me!?"

"Date?" Zanya asked, caught completely off guard.

"Stop calling her that!" Chandler slammed his hand on the table, standing up from his seat, glaring up at Malora. "There's something clearly wrong with YOUR eyes if you think she's anywhere close to fat!"

"You haven't seen her stuff her face all day!"

"I have a condition where I have to eat frequently." Zanya explained, not wishing to even look at the brat throwing a tantrum by their table.

"Excuses excuses." Malora gave a harsh, nasty laugh, clearly disbelieving of her explanation.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to stop harassing our customers and leave the establishment, before we call the police." The attendant called from behind the counter, as irritated as Chandler and Zanya were, his hand on his phone.

"You heard the man, Malora...get lost." Chandler added, pointing to the door. The spoiled rich girl growled and stamped her foot against the ground, but stormed toward the exit anyway.

"I'm going to encourage Mother and Father to buy this dump, just so we can tear it to the ground!" She threatened as she left, slamming the door upon exiting.

"Good riddance." Chandler spat, sitting back down. "What'd you do to get her that vengeful toward you?"

"I said I didn't want to be her 'associate', whatever that means." Zanya explained dully. "She seems to have her eye on you, though."

"Yeah...she seems to think that just because we're both popular, we're supposed to be together. We went on one date...that was all I could stand." He groaned as he remembered that evening.

"That reminds me...what'd she mean by 'date'?" The zombie girl asked with a raised eyebrow. Chandler froze, hitting a brief moment of panic.

"Oh...she must just think this is a date because, you know, a guy and a girl can't just go get ice cream without it being a date…." He rambled, sweating a bit.

"Well, that's annoying." Zanya frowned. "Friends should be able to do what they like, without being judged like that." On one hand, the cocky young man was relieved that Zanya believed him again. On the other hand, the fact she used the word friend felt like laying on a bed of spikes to him.

'Cool it, Chandler.' He thought to himself as he regained his cool. 'Maybe this is best. She seems like a take it slow gal. Start with friend and work your way up.'

"Speaking of, I really appreciate that you stood up for me like that." Zanya added, interrupting his inner monologue. "it was very gallant."

"Heh. Don't sweat it. And don't you listen to Malora. She wouldn't know real beauty if it slapped her silly."

"Hehehe. I don't listen to her if I can help it." She replied, her blush returning."She's not worth the attention."

"I hear that." He agreed, raising his glass to that. Malora glowered at them from the front window. That girl would pay. She just need to find a way to make it happen.

'Wait...the chow hound says she has a condition where she has to eat a lot...I bet she's lying, but if she isn't...I wonder what will happen when she doesn't have her snacks.' She wondered to herself, an evil grin appearing on her face as she walked away, plotting her vengeance. Meanwhile, Zanya and Chandler spent the next thirty minutes chatting animatedly between each other as they finished their ice creams, before she decided to take him up on his offer to go to Gus'. The zombie girl thought the arcade was just ok, not being such a video game fan. However, she did manage to have fun with the dance arcade machines, the air hockey table, and a new vr boxing simulator they recently installed. After an intense dance off between her and Chandler, the young lady's stomach started growling loudly, so they paused for a slice of pizza and some garlic knots (Zanya's treat this time). One bite of the pizza and Zanya was in a state of bliss. It may not have been the best example of pizza, but she still loved the melted blend of cheeses, plus the parmesan she added to it. She also had to admit that the garlic knots were fantastic too. Once their snack was finished, Zanya realized how late it was getting. It was only an hour until dinner, so she had to head back to the Loud House.

"Thanks again, Chandler. It's been a lot of fun, even with Malora's sudden appearance."

"No problem, Zanya. Perhaps we can do it again sometime soon." He offered, his hands behind his back.

"I'd like that." She replied, giving him a small hug before she started jogging home. He watched her as she left his sight, a little disappointed that he didn't get a kiss, but felt otherwise the day was a success. He did have a gift for her, but had a feeling that, after her reaction to Malora calling their afternoon a date, he should hold onto it till next time. One step at a time, he told himself, one step at a time.

* * *

Zanya made it home with time to spare, the smell of Lynn Sr cooking on the barbeque out back permeating through the house. Between the delicious smells and the jog home, she was getting really hungry again, but first, she had something important to prepare for. She tossed her backpack into her room and got herself cleaned up. Then, during dinner, she relayed what she planned to do to the Loud Family. They were pretty worried about how this was going to end, but Zanya was determined, so they offered her their support...well, except for Lola. After a delicious (and messy) meal of barbeque chicken, ribs and fresh grilled veggies, the zombie girl got the living room set up for her guests, with Lana, Lucy, Leni, Rita and Lynn Sr's help. Luna, Luan and Lynn Jr were in the dining room to provide backup in case things got ugly. Lori opted to stay upstairs with Lily and Lola, since Clyde was coming over, and the pageant princess wanted nothing to do with what was going on down there. She planned to eavesdrop, of course, but not participate. When the four boys and two girls arrived at the house, Lola had set herself up at the top of the stairs, her radar like ears set on what was going on downstairs.

"Thank you all so much for coming." Zanya greeted her friends as she let them all in. "Make yourselves at home and help yourselves to some snacks and soda if you like."

"That's mighty neighborly of ya, Zanya." Liam said with a smile, taking up a spot on the couch.

"And thank you for getting everyone together, Stella."

"Anytime, Zan. So what's the big announcement?" She asked, taking one of the comfy chairs. Clyde, Zach and Rusty all joined Liam on the couch, while Girl Jordan sat on the arm by Clyde.

"Well, do you all remember how I said Principal Huggins made me promise to keep a secret?"

"Yeah…?" Girl Jordan asked, wondering if she was seriously about to break this promise.

"Well, as it turns out, he also threatened my friends here in the Loud House to get them to keep quiet too…."

"Seriously!?" Rusty snapped, breaking a tortilla chip in his hands.

"That's not right…" Stella commented angrily.

"I agree. So I've been thinking the last few days….what does he know? He's so convinced that keeping this secret is keeping me safe...but I feel that it's causing more problems than it's solving. So I came to a decision; I'm going to tell my secret to my closest, most trusted friends. Namely, you guys." She explained, gesturing to the six kids before her.

"Aw shucks...that's really flattering, Zan." Zach said with a chuckle and a blush. Girl Jordan was getting a little annoyed with all the beating around the bush, but held her tongue.

"...my friends...I am a zombie." She admitted to them. "I was sent here as part of the student exchange program from Miss Grimwood's, a school for monster girls, in an attempt to help further human/monster relations." There was a moment of silence that followed her words. Then all the boys burst out laughing and Stella just sat there looking confused. These were not quite the reactions Zanya expected. Neither was Jordan's, who hopped off the couch arm, looking angry.

"You brought us out here for a joke!?" She scolded her. "You made it sound so serious!"

"I was being serious…" Zanya told her.

"That was rich, Zanya. You really had us going there…" Clyde said as he stopped laughing. The zombie girl just looked at them all as Girl Jordan headed for the door. She was about to leave when she heard a collection of gasps and screams. She glanced angrily to the side, looked back at the door, then turned in absolute shock. Zanya was standing there in front of her friends, holding her head in her hands.

"GAH!" She screamed, stumbling away from the door and into the waiting arms of Lynn Jr. "H...how are you doing that!?"

"It's like I said...I'm a real, live...sort of...zombie." Another wave of silence overcame them, this time out of shock. This was a lot to take in for them. Lynn helped Jordan get back onto her own two feet, letting her slowly approach Zanya, who had a smile on her face.

"This….this is for real?"

"It is, Jordan." Zanya held her head out to Girl Jordan so she could get a closer look, causing her to recoil a bit. "It's ok. I won't bite." The light brunette looked to the Loud sisters and parents in the living room, who gave her an encouraging nod. Though hesitant at first, she slowly took her head into her hands.

"It...it is real." She said quietly, examining the head she was carrying from all angles.

"Whoa...careful. Getting a little dizzy…"

"Oh...hehe...sorry." Jordan giggled softly as she held the zombie girl's noggin straight. She wasn't so much afraid anymore, but she had so many questions now. Lincoln's male friends were the next to make a move, getting a closer look at her headless body.

"This is so cool." Zach finally said. "Can you move even without your head?"

"Sure can." Zanya replied, her body marching in place.

"Pardon my saying this, but this is pretty weird…" Stella said, walking over to Zanya's head.

"No worries, Stella. I had a feeling this would look pretty strange to….wahahahah!" She suddenly bursts out laughing, the cause being Liam poking her belly.

"Whoa. Y'all felt that?" Liam asked.

"Yes! Please don't do that. That tickles." She said as her momentary laughter died down.

"How did this happen?" Clyde asked, turning to the Grimwood girl's head. "Were you born like this?"

"That's actually a story in and of itself. If you'd be so kind as to put my head back on, I'll tell all of you how I became a zombie." Jordan nodded, putting her head back onto her body, letting Zanya straighten her own head as she reclaimed her original seat. The Loud Family hurried over to join them, as they hadn't heard this story yet. Lola herself found herself very interested, sneaking down the stairs for a better listen. "As I told some of you, my daddy is a private investigator. What I didn't tell you all was my mother was a scientist...a bit of a mad scientist, truth be told. And neither of them are zombies, before anyone asks."

"Thought hadn't even crossed our minds." Luna said, holding her hand up as if she were being sworn in.

"Anyway, as a detective, my father made some enemies with some….bad people, to put it nicely. One day, when I was just five years old, playing by myself outside in front of my house, a big gray van came speeding down the street. I was playing on the sidewalk, so I wasn't paying the van any mind. I never noticed when it turned right onto the concrete, aimed right at me." There was a collection of gasps from her audience. Even Lola was in quiet horror as she listened. "They hit me right on...I'll spare you the details, but in summary...it hurt a LOT. And they weren't done. They turned their car around and hit me again while I was down."

"That's horrible….." Rita was close to tears, Luan offering her a hanky from her string of hankies.

"That's just sick…" Lucy commented with disgust.

"Everything went black for me then, but Daddy told me what happened after. He had just came out the door when they were attempting to hit me again. He took a few shots at them with his gun, but he doesn't think he hit them at all. They fled the scene and, after he swore to make them pay, he brought my...body...into the house to have Mommy look at it. He said that after she examined me and...reconnected my limbs." She rubbed her shoulder gingerly, her friends in and out of the Loud Family looking very uncomfortable. "...then she gave me some kind of transfusion with this gooey green liquid."

"The same you had given me a sample of on Monday?" Lisa inquired.

'The very same. After that, I woke up laying on her lab table, feeling a painful hunger. After they hugged me and I explained what I was feeling, Mommy quickly fed me my favorite snack; string cheese. And from what she told me, it was a good thing she did. I don't really understand all the science stuff she told me...but here's what I understand as of right now. The green stuff in my body is keeping me alive and keeping me from becoming all rotten and such. However, my body needs more energy to keep me alive and moving. To keep that energy up, I need to eat a lot and often."

"So...you're saying you could possibly starve to death if you don't snack." Clyde asked in concern.

"I imagine as much. I don't know for certain, never pushed my luck that far." Zanya answered. "But that's how it happened. From the age of five onward, I was a zombie. My parents were concerned about sending me back to school, since it would lead to a lot of tricky questions. Fortunately, Daddy had gotten a lead about Miss Grimwood's school from this strange man with a lot of hair in a trenchcoat and hat a few years back. He helped Daddy get in touch with her and I got enrolled in a matter of days."

"So Grimwood is a school for monster girls? And that's where Lincoln is?" Rusty asked. "Lucky…" He grumbled, feeling jealous of his friend.

"Are these girls as nice as you are?" Stella inquired, feeling a little worried about her friend.

"Oh yes." Zanya answered with a nod. "Very nice."

"Lincoln called us all the other day." Rita told them, getting the attention of all Lincoln's friends. "He sounds like he's having a great time and making a lot of friends."

"That's great to hear." Clyde said, smiling.

"Anyway, now that you guys know my secret, I know I can trust you not to tell others, or the fact that I told you to Principal Huggins." Zanya said, looking at the six children she called her closest friends from school.

"You can count on me." Clyde answered with a salute.

"Sure enough, Zanya." Liam agreed.

"Of course, Zan." Rusty answered.

"Not a word will escape my lips." Zach mimed zipping his lips to emphasis his point.

"I promise to keep it secret." Stella swore.

"Me too." Girl Jordan agreed.

"Thank you all." Zanya smiled widely, holding her arms wide open to hug them all.

"And, Zanya….I apologize for getting mad earlier…" Jordan continued, rubbing the back of her head. "I just….thought it was some kind of prank…"

"Don't worry about it, Jordan." The zombie girl said, waving off her apology. "I rarely ever carry a grudge. They're too heavy." The moment she said that, her arms fell off, causing her friends and some of the Loud sisters to gasp, but Luan to laugh out loud.

"Now that was some kind of prank." She quipped.

"LUAN!" Her family and Lincoln's friends all shouted.

Meanwhile, up on the stairs, Lola had tears in her eyes after listening to Zanya's story. It was downright heartbreaking for her to hear: someone hated her (Zanya's) father enough to run over a five year old girl twice? Just for the sake of hate or revenge? And the Grimwood girl's life had been changed forever as a result. One could argue that her life, or perhaps unlife, turned out just fine, but Lola couldn't help but feel sorry for her. That sort of thing should never have to happen to someone so young. Hearing that things were winding down downstairs, Lola hastily crept her way back to her room. She had some serious thinking to do.


	9. Chapter 9: Bonding at Grimwood

_AN: Just a series of snippets to expand upon the relationships between Lincoln and the Grimwood Girls and setting the plot aside for this chapter. I plan to do the same with Zanya and the Loud Sisters in the next chapter, since I realized they haven't really hung out much outside of Lucy and Lana._

* * *

Bonding at Grimwood

Monday

With the last class for the afternoon over, Lincoln found himself being helped out of the library by Phantasma and Winnie. The spells they were learning were becoming more advanced and, though Lincoln had shown a lot of improvement in his spell casting, it was still taking a lot out of him. "You gotta pace yourself a bit, partner." Winnie told him as they set him in one of the chairs in the entry hall.

"Sorry...but I really wanted to learn this spell.." He admitted, breathing heavily. "Seriously..a spell that allows me to talk with animals, even if it's only insects and spiders at this level. Lana is gonna freak when she hears about this."

"That is kinda cool, but it's not worth hurting yourself so much over…" Phanty said, an uncharacteristically serious tone in her voice and look on her face..

"You're right. It's not." Lincoln agreed, which made Phanty smile again.

"Good. Then you sit right there and rest up." The ethereal lass gave him a small hug before she drifted down into the basement.

"So, what do you have planned for the day, Linc? Before science class, I mean." Winnie asked, leaning on the left arm of the chair Lincoln sat in.

"Well, I was gonna take care of my history homework, then I promised to meet Gosuki. She said she needed my help with something."

"Maybe she wants you to model for her?" The werewolf girl joked, the both of them laughing.

"Good one, Winnie. But whatever it is, I'll see what I can...huh?" Lincoln blinked as he noticed the helping hand float over to him, carrying a package. It places the parcel on Lincoln's lap before floating off.

"Huh. What's that?"

"I'm not sure, but it came from Lisa." The middle Loud said, pointing to the return address. "Must have to do with her idea to allow my family to see the big volleyball game from home." His furred friend's curiosity was piqued as he tore the paper off the package and opened the box. Inside was a remote control drone, along with its controller and a note. Lincoln pulled out the note for a closer look.

 _Lincoln,_

 _Thank you so much for your prompt submission of our request to Miss Grimwood and equally prompt reply to us. Enclosed is a state of the art camera drone, with a few modifications I made. With this craft, we should be able to stream the event straight to our television. If your friends there wish, I can easily aid them in getting a similar stream to their families as well. You simply need to ask. Please do call again soon, dear brother._

 _Miss you deeply,_

 _Lisa._

"This is so cool!" Winnie lifted the drone carefully out of the box, grinning widely. "Tell me we get to fly this."

"We get to fly it." Lincoln replied, smiling as he folded the note. "We'll need to practice flying and controlling the drone, because it's going to be the key to my family watching the match. She says she can set it up for your families to watch too if you like."

"Sounds cool, but most of our folks don't really have the tech to watch from anywhere. I think the only ones who really have a tv is Frankenteen Sr and The Phantom." Winnie said. "Our dads are pretty old school." The one son was a little surprised to hear that, but the more he thought about it, he did find it hard to imagine Dracula surfing the internet. He let the thought pass as he and Winnie went outside to test his drone out. Already outside were Tanis, Gila and Milly, the three of which were having a little outdoor study group. Lincoln waved to them, but only the young mummy saw him and waved back. Winnie set the drone onto the ground as the human boy pulled out the remote control.

"First flight is all yours, Linc." Winnie said, backing up to stand beside him.

"Pilot to co-pilot. Engaging the engines. Contact." Lincoln said as he turned on the control unit and the drone. Winnie giggled a bit before responding.

"Contact." The drone's four propellers started to spin. "And...lift off!" She cheered as the flying, camera mounted device slowly rose into the air. The buzz of the props and the excitement of the two children got the attention of the younger monster girls.

"I wonder what all the shouting it about." Gila wondered aloud.

"It looks like they're trying a new toy or something." Tanis responded, her eyes on the drone.

"Who cares? Silly earth entertainment is all it is. Now, let's return to-" Milly looked up from her book and, the moment she saw the drone hovering in the air, she found herself spellbound. Her eyes widened on their stalks as she rose to her feet and slowly meandered over to Winnie and Lincoln. After a little bit of flying the RC flyer around the sky, the white haired human handed the control to Winnie, who was really eager to try it out. She spent a minute or two getting a feel for how the device handled, then started to really fly it around; soaring around the sky, circling the tower, even performing a barrel roll.

"Nice flying, Winnie." Lincoln commented as he watched.

"Thanks, Linc." The lycan girl responded. At that moment, she flew the drone into a passing vulture. The shell shocked bird lost some feathers, but Winnie lost control of the drone. "Oh no!" She cried, desperately trying to regain control. Lincoln was panicking as he watched helpless, Tanis gasped, her hands going to her mouth, and even Milly looked worried. Before it could hit the ground, however, Winnie managed to pull the flyer out of its nosedive and restabilize it.

"Whew...that was close." Lincoln wiped the sweat from his forehead as he started breathing normally again. "Way to save it, Winnie."

"Thanks..but I think I'm done for a bit."

"Earthling….might I...take a turn with that?" Milly suddenly asked, surprising everyone involved.

"Uh...Sure Milly." Lincoln replied, handing the controller over to her. The little martian looked over at the drone as she carefully familiarized herself with how it worked. A smile started to grow on her face. In her mind, the drone reminded her a lot of a vehicle frequently used on Mars. The equivalent of an all terrain vehicle to the alien culture. She had always wanted to steer one herself, but her father unit and older siblings always told her she was too young. It always upset her. While the airborne camera contraption wasn't the exact same thing, it was close enough for her. She was doing what she always wanted to do, just on a smaller scale, and she couldn't be happier. "Wow, you're pretty good." Lincoln commented as he watched her pilot the drone like she had been doing it for years. "Must be those superior martian piloting skills I've heard of." He added, in an attempt to butter her up.

"But of course." Milly responded with pride, having a ball as she flew the machine all over the grounds. Lincoln smiled lightly at her. He knew it probably wasn't the best move to stroke her already over inflated ego, but he did want to try and improve the relationship between him and the martian girl. Even if he couldn't change her opinion of Earth people, he still wanted to at least try and become friendlier with her. M-149 flew the drone for a good, long while before she finally landed it in front of Lincoln and handed him the remote controller back. "Thank you, Earthling." She responded, curt yet polite, once more shocking everyone who knew her.

"You're welcome, Milly." He responded, simple yet equally polite. With that, Milly returned to her study group, looking noticeably happier and ready to tackle their math review.

* * *

Once Lincoln had repacked the drone and put it safely away in his room, he hurried through the halls to the catacombs below the school. It was down here where Tanis' room was located, and the room where Gosuki practiced whatever art tickled her fancy, the art classroom. When class wasn't in session, the room was usually empty, which made it perfect for working in peace. Lincoln dashed into the room just as Godzilla's daughter was setting up a small block of marble. "Oh! There you are Lincoln.I thought you might have forgotten."

"Sorry I took so long, Suki. I had something I needed to take care of real quick."

"It's ok, Lincoln. You're here now, and that's what matters." She said with a smile.

"So, what kind of help do you need?" He asked, looking at the little marble slab.

"I'd like you to model for me." she replied simply, gesturing to the space in front of her desk. The one son blinked, wondering if he heard her correct.

'She may have been joking, but looks like Winnie was right.' He thought to himself. "Are you sure you want ME to model for you?" He inquired. It's not like he wasn't used to being asked to be a model; Leni sometimes asked him to help her with her tailoring. But he never really saw himself as model worthy.

"Yep. I've done something for all of my friends here so far." She explained, directing his attention to a row of varying art pieces: a painting of Sibella, a wood carving of Elsa, a song in honor of Phantasma, a welded metal sculpture of Milly, a poem about Gila, and a little plush of Winnie. "The only ones I'm missing are you and Tanis."

"Wow. You must have spent a lot of time on these." Lincoln said as he looked over each tribute to Gosuki's friends.

"Yeah, but it was worth it. My way of remembering the friends I made here at Grimwood's." The human boy smiled over at the young reptilian girl, pleased that she thought of him as a friend. He walked over in front of her desk and turned to face her.

"So, what are you looking for? Something casual?" He asked, setting his hands on his hips. Suki looks at him with a critical eye.

"Good question...let's see….what would capture the real you?" She plods around the desk and over to him. "Maybe...something to show your thinky side." She picked him up and adjusted him into a thinker position before sitting him down.

"Ow! Ah! Careful, Suki…." Lincoln groaned, the process hurting him a little.

"Sorry. Um...maybe the time you cast your first spell." She stood him back up, pulling his arm up over his head like he were about to do the hand motion for the size change spell.

"Ow! Suki! That hurts!" He complained, more angrily than before.

"Sorry Lincoln…" She flinched a bit when she realized she was hurting him. "Ok Ok….maybe something more bold…" She gently prods him forward, trying to put him into forward leaning pose. Since he wasn't ready for this, he ended up falling over forward.

"Suki!" He yelled, getting quickly to his feet, his face going a little red. The kaiju girl backs away from him, holding her hands in front of her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"You keep saying that, but you keep right on doing it, even after I told you you were hurting me!" He scolded her with a raised voice, causing her to shrink back a bit. If he weren't so angry, he would have noticed how odd it was to have the daughter of the king of the monsters so fearful of him, Lincoln Loud. Gosuki's eyes were filling with tears.

"I...I'm really sorry, Lincoln...I really am." She whimpered. "I just wanted to remember you for your best...and I got over excited and...and…" She looked on the verge of crying, the sight of which was enough to quell some of Lincoln's anger.

"I understand that.." He started after a deep breath. "And I want to help you. But you can't be so rough. Most humans, like myself, aren't as tough as your friends and family on Monster Island or even our friends here. You need to be more mindful of your strength." He calmly continued, at a more even tone.

"I...promise I will be more careful, Lincoln..." She quietly said, lowering one hand and rubbing the tears from her eyes with the other. "...forgive me?"

"Of course, Gosuki." He answered, a small smile on his face. "Come over here." He held out his arms, offering her a hug. She took a few steps forward, then stops.

"Wait! Hold that pose!" She exclaimed, scooting back behind the desk. Lincoln was kind of taken aback by this, but held his position. He noticed she didn't have a chisel, but she was able to chip through the block easily with her claws. He had to hold the 'Give me a hug' pose for nearly two hours, his legs becoming quite sore. "And...finished!" She declared, giving the white haired loud the sign that he could relax. Suki had a big smile on her face as she turned the sculpture so he could see it.

"Suki...that's incredible." The awestruck boy said as he laid eyes on the little statue. The craftsmanship was remarkable. She was able to get little details like the collar of his trademark orange shirt and his chipped tooth.

"And I think it really captures the best of you..your heart." She explained, stepping back around the desk. She was about to give him a big hug, but paused just as she was about to wrap her large arms around him. Then, she gave him a more gentle hug, which he returned in kind. "Thank you so much for helping me Lincoln. And sorry again for being so careless."

"You're welcome, Suki, and don't worry about it. I know you didn't and wouldn't purposely hurt me." Lincoln said. "It's water under the bridge." The young kaiju brushed away a few newly formed tears of happiness before she let him go, smiling brightly at him.

"It's getting a little late. You head on up to dinner. I'll catch up in a moment." She said, turning carefully so's not to hit him with her tail.

"Ok. See you later, Gosuki." He replied, smiling back to her before he left the art classroom. Suki cautiously picked up her newly crafted statue and placed it beside the Winnie plush. All it needed was a coat of bronze and it would be perfect, she thought.

* * *

Tuesday

Midday on Tuesday meant one thing for the students of Grimwood's Finishing School: potions class. Lincoln had to admit to having mixed feelings about this class. While it was exciting to learn, and pretty useful to boot, it was also quite dangerous and required a lot of skill and care to get it right. Even the simplest potions can burst or turn into a toxin if improperly made. Usually, students would work independently on their own potions, but today was a group project. They were learning to make an elixir that could heal small cuts and bruises when applied to a wound. Lincoln ended up being paired with Elsa, sitting next to the table where Phanty and Gosuki were working together. "Ok, Lincoln. You finely chop the aloe and weigh out exactly 2 ounces, while I work on powdering the lizard teeth." Elsa instructed, taking a leadership role on this project. This was probably best for Lincoln, as she was pretty good with potions. It was practically chemistry after all.

"Got it. And after, I should measure the morning dew?"

"Yes, but carefully. We don't have much." Elsa nodded to him as she started crushing tiny lizard teeth with a mortar and pestle. Not a word was said between them as they focused on their tasks, Lincoln cutting aloe leaves as fine as he could. Once he had exactly two ounces prepped, he poured a small amount of water collected from the plants in the morning into a beaker. "That's perfect." The brilliant young Frankenteen commented as she turned on their bunsen burner and set the beaker upon it. After adding their prepped ingredients, they needed to let the mixture simmer for a while before they added the next items. "What's your home like?" Elsa suddenly asked, while she was collecting a bit of venom from a millipede. Lincoln looked up from the snail slime he collected with an eye dropper.

"Huh? Oh, well, Royal Woods is pretty nice." He said, holding the dropped up to his face to make sure he had enough. "It has everything my family and I could possibly need: good schools in walking distance, a mall full of stores for almost all of us, some really good fusion restaurants…"

"Fusion?" Elsa's concentration lapsed for a moment, which nearly got her pinched by the millipede she was handling.

"Whoa...sorry, Elsa."

"Don't worry, Lincoln. I'm not hurt and I shouldn't have lost my focus." She put the millipede back into its tank, as she was done with it anyway. "But what do you mean by fusion restaurant?"

"It's a restaurant that creates new food by combining two different kinds of cuisine." Lincoln explained, catching the young lady's attention. "It's really popular back home. My father even works as a chef in a hawaiian/russian restaurant."

"That sounds kinda strange, but intriguing." She said, smiling lightly.

"It kinda is. But it can be delicious. We also have Jean Juan's French/Mex Buffet, which combines Mexican and French cuisine. I've been there a few times, and I can definitely recommend it...provided you avoid the escargo enchiladas." Lincoln shuddered, remembering how the last time he ended up stuck in the bathroom for nearly a half hour after eating one. Elsa laughed softly, turning to the beaker to add the slime and venom.

"It sounds like something Da Da would like to try. He likes trying to put different things together." She joked, getting a chuckle from her friend. "Tell me more about Royal Woods."

"Well, like I was saying, we also have a nice arcade, a decent sized public library, and a few public parks that Lily loves to go to. There are also public pools in the summer, but...my family is banned from almost all of them...don't ask." Elsa blinked in surprise as she heard this, but didn't ask as he requested, quietly stirring the potion with a glass tube. "The weather is pretty moderate in the spring, summer and fall, but winter can be harsh, being as close as we are to the Great Lakes."

"So, lots of snow?"

"Yeah. What's next?" He asked as the mixture turned a disgusting green color, then a soft blue.

"We just need to add a pinch of sea salt, let it simmer for five minutes more, and it should be done." Elsa explained as she added a tiny portion of salt to the potion.

"Great." Lincoln replied as he started cleaning up. "How about your home?"

"Well, Da Da and I used to live in the old country, but it was pretty far from school, so we moved Frankenteen Castle over to the states when I got enrolled."

"Wait...the whole castle? How did you manage that?" The human boy inquired, completely puzzled.

"Slowly." She responded with a chuckle. "We couldn't use magic, the castle was too large, so we had to ship it piece by piece. But we found a nice location in the Appalachian Mountains to rebuild the castle; nice and private, where humans were unlikely to stumble upon it."

"Wow. Must have been quite a chore. But how do you get groceries, medicine and the like?"

"We made peaceful contact with a little town a couple miles from the castle. Ma Ma explained our situation to them and, after a while, they got used to us coming to town to get what we need." Elsa said, watching the bubbling potion carefully. "Some of them even became our friends after a while."

"That's great. But what about electricity?"

"That's easy. We get that the same way we always used to: by lightning rod." She said simply. "Whenever a storm rolls by, lightning strikes and charges a series of batteries in our basement, or powers whatever equipment we need for our experiments." She expanded upon when she saw Lincoln's confused look. "We've also been experimenting with wind power, since the winds can get pretty powerful in the mountains."

"That's pretty clever….and somewhat dangerous sounding." Lincoln commented. The silence returned as they waited for their potion to finish brewing, until a couple seconds later.

"That should do it." Elsa declared as she removed the beaker with a pair of tongs and poured the elixir into a flask. The liquid started to shine with a soft blue light. "Once it cools, we can test it out." Lincoln smiled as he looked at the glowing elixir, but he started to wonder how they were going to test their healing elixir.

"Uh oh." Came a voice from the next table over, where Phantasma and Gosuki's potion started to smoke and shake. "Duck and cover!" Phanty shouted, covering her face as her kaiju friend ducked her head. Elsa hid under the table, while Lincoln turned to the source of the sound. Their potion exploded, the force of which knocked Lincoln clear across the room, destroying the front of his orange shirt in the process.

"Goodness me! Is everyone alright?" Miss Grimwood asked as she swatted away the smoke.

"I think so…" Sibella coughed as she tried to fan the smoke away.

"We're ok over here." Winnie called from under a table.

"Shields active. No damage to report." Milly said, a shimmering shield surrounding herself and her partner, Gila.

"Lisa...I think you put too much nitro in that…" Lincoln groaned, his head feeling like it was spinning.

"Lincoln? Are you ok?" Elsa asked, running over to where he had hit the wall.

"...I think so…" The white haired lad said, after taking a moment to shake his head and clear it.

"Miss Grimwood! Lincoln got caught in the blast!" The reanimated teen called out, the middle aged headmistress, Sibella, Tanis, and Phantasma all hurrying over beside her.

"Oh no.." Sibella gasped. Lincoln didn't look too bad. He wasn't cut by the shattered glass, but his torso had gotten a little burned. She helped him up and pulled off the ratty remains of his signature shirt, noticing a nasty bruise on his back.

"I'm alright... I think.." He repeated, wincing. "I'm kinda used to explosions…living with Lisa."

"I don't like the look of that…" Elsa commented with a frown as she pointed at the bruise on his back, grabbing their healing potion from the table. "This is going to burn, but it'll help…"

"Thanks ElSAAAAH!" Lincoln nearly screamed as the potion was poured onto his back. She wasn't kidding; it burned like all Hades.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln...I overheated the mixture.." Phantasma apologized, her eyes filled with tears.

"Accidents...happen...Phanty." The middle loud said through gritted teeth. While his skin burned, the bruise was fading away as if by magic. After a few seconds, the burning ebbed away, but so did the pain in his back. "..that feels much better. Thanks, Elsa."

"You're welcome, partner." Elsa replied with a smile. "The potion works perfectly."

"Does it work on burns?" He looks down at his bright red chest and stomach.

"I'm afraid not, dear...but I can help there. Just hold still." Miss Grimwood gently placed her hand on his chest, making him grimace in pain. Her dark hair started to flow as if a torrent of wind was unleashed under her. The burned parts started to glow, then disappear. The magic left a tingling sensation on his skin, making Lincoln chuckle and giggle for a few seconds. "There we go. That should do it." She said with a smile as her hair soon set back in place, the burn completely gone.

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood."

"You're quite welcome, dear." She stepped back as Phanty, Tanis, and Winnie all rushed Lincoln, giving him a hug after hearing he was going to be alright along with Sibella and Elsa. Gosuki soon joined them, pulling them all into a big bear hug.

* * *

Later that evening, after lights out, Lincoln was already asleep in bed, holding Bun Bun close to him. He was having a wonderful dream of becoming a wise, powerful warlock, using his magic to help people like a superhero. He had just fixed a burst dam with the wave of his hand, watching from afar as the people sang praises to him. A woman stepped beside him to join him. He turned his head to see who it was when a knocking at the door brought him back into the real world. He grumbled a bit, but climbed out of bed to see who it was. "Hello…" He said groggily, looking out the door. Standing there was a terrified Tanis, tears in her eyes and sniffling. "Tanis?" he asked, his big brother instincts snapping him out of his drowsy state. "What's the matter?" He stepped aside to let her in, pulling over a chair for her to sit in.

"I...had a terrible nightmare…" She sobbed quietly, taking the seat he offered her.

"A nightmare?" The youngest of the girls nodded shakily.

"A….A bad man broke into Grimwood's...Miss Grimwood was nowhere to be found. He attacked us all….we tried to fight back, but he was too strong...it came down to the man and Sibella...he knocked her down and raised his hand to her...a sharp spike flew from his hand right at her….but you jumped in the way and…...and…." Tanis broke down crying, throwing her arms around his neck. Lincoln gently hugged her back, patting her back to help calm her. While some of the younger sisters of the Loud House usually went to Lori with problems right night terrors, Lincoln himself handled his fair share of bad dreams.

"Ssssshhhh. It's ok, Tanis. It was just a dream…" He said calmly, letting her cry into his shoulder. "No bad man can get in here. Miss Grimwood has the school grounds well secured. And even if they managed to get past that, she'll be alerted to his presence, and I don't think they could stand a chance against a witch like her." He continued.

"I know...but it felt so real…" Tanis said through her sobs. "He was trying to destroy us all...and you were killed trying to protect us…" Lincoln stood up and carried the distraught young mummy over to his bed.

"Some dreams do seem real, but in the end, they can't hurt you or anyone else...unless the guy in your dreams was wearing a striped sweater and a fedora." Tanis looked fearfully at him, causing Lincoln to hastily added. "It was a joke, Tanis. He doesn't exist. He's just a character in a movie." That seemed to calm her down a little. "Sorry about that…"

"It's ok, Lincoln." She replied quietly. "I'm just really shaken…"

"Would you like to stay here with me tonight?" He offered. Tanis slowly nodded. He smiled to her and set her head onto his pillow before handing her Bun Bun and tucking her in. He went and got a spare pillow and blanket after, setting himself up on the other side of the bed.

"Thank you, Lincoln…"

"What are friends for, Tanis?" He asked, leaning over to give her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Good night."

"Good night...big brother." She whispered as she closed her eyes. Lincoln blinks in surprise as he heard that, but then smiles warmly to her before making himself comfortable on his side of the bed.

* * *

Wednesday

Unlike most school days, the first class of Wednesday didn't start until nine, which gave the early risers like Lincoln a chance to get things together before class. After getting a shower and some breakfast, Lincoln was going over his report for history class; proofreading it specifically when he heard a knock at the door. "Lincoln…? Are you there?" It was Gila's voice.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" He asked, putting his report back into his backpack.

"I'd...like to talk to you for a bit…" The fish girl replied nervously.

"Certainly. What's on your mind?" He sat down by the door, ready to listen.

"I'd..like to ask you about humans...and I'd like you to be honest." She explained, getting comfortable on the opposite side of the wall from him.

"I see. With regards to the stories you've heard?" She nodded, though he couldn't see this. He got the impression she had nodded, though.

"Do...humans all eat fish?" She asked nervously.

"Truth be told, not all humans, but the majority do, myself included." He answered. Gila shivered in fear, but she could tell he was being truthful. "Just like how not all humans fish."

"Not all humans fish?"

"No. In fact, there are those who are opposed to it, for varying reasons." He told her. "Some just don't like it, some opposed to what they call animal cruelty, the list goes on."

"What are other humans like?"

"Hmmm. That's a pretty broad topic. With as many different cultures, personality types, and what not there are on this planet, there are millions of different types of humans." He answered. "Some are good, some are bad, some kindly, some selfish, some bright, some dim."

"...how about your family? How would you describe them?" While she had overheard Lincoln when he described his sisters to the others, she didn't want him to know that.

"Well, in three words each: Lori, authoritative, responsible, angry. Leni, sweet, scatterbrained, empathetic. Luna, loud, nice, spirited. Luan, funny (sometimes), helpful, devious. Lynn, athletic, loyal, hot-headed. Lucy, spooky, creative, helpful. Lana, handy, dirty, caring. Lola, graceful, vindictive, caring. Lisa, brilliant, inventive, invasive. Lily, adorable, sweet, curious."

"I think I see what you mean...such a diverse group." Gila commented. "Does it ever cause problems?"

"All the time. Lola and Lana, for example, are always clashing. But even during their worst fights, they always find a way to make up."

"Do humans usually make up after a fight like they do?"

"I wish. I mean, some do, but unfortunately, there are many who hold grudges. They start a fight with others and never let it go. And some even enjoy starting fights with others."

"That's dreadful…" A horrified Gila said.

"I agree...but it is the truth." Lincoln said with a solemn nod.

"Are most humans honest?"

"Some, yes, though not perfectly honest. I myself have told some little white lies with my friends and family. I don't think anyone on this planet is perfectly honest. However, there are many who are perfectly dishonest, making their living lying to others, usually for their own exclusive benefit."

"Well...I appreciate the fact you're being honest to me." Gila told him. "Even if it's not helping my fear…"

"I'm sorry about that, Gila. But if there is anything I want you to really take away from what I'm saying…" he started to say, not noticing as his door creeped open. "...is that there are good humans in the world. Humans who would treat you with respect, honesty and kindness. Humans-"

"-like you?" Lincoln jumped a bit as he looked to his door, seeing Gila peeking her head through. She flinched a bit, but remained there.

"...wasn't really what I was going to say, but thanks." He said with a blush and a bit of a grin before continuing. "Humans who will treat you like an equal. But it's near impossible to tell good or bad humans apart without interacting with them. Could you get hurt sometimes? Yes. But you could also find friendships that could last a lifetime."

"...thank you Lincoln."

"Anytime. Now, may I ask you to tell me a little about yourself?" he asked, looking right at her. "I never really got to know you on the first day."

"Sorry about that…" Gila looked kind of regretful about her actions on the first day as she sat down in his doorway. She was still a little too scared to be in the same room with him. "Certainly. Well, first off, while I am afraid of humans...I do like their music, but only instrumental versions. I love the sound of musical instruments."

"Which ones do you like most?" Lincoln asked, feeling that having her in the door, looking him eye to eye and having a conversation, was a massive step for her.

"Hmmm. That is a tough one. Flutes, electric guitars, accordions, the kazoo in small doses, even triangles….I don't think I found an instrument I don't like listening to, played properly. Do you play?"

"Not professionally like my sister Luna, but she did teach me guitar, the flute and the drums, and she says I'm pretty good on the stand up bass. If you want, I could show you sometime. I think I saw some instruments with Phanty's harpsichord down in the basement."

"Maybe some time." She gave him a weak smile at his offer. "I'm also a practicing martial artist."

"Really? Awesome. Which style do you practice?"

"You probably haven't heard of it. It's an underwater style my father calls 'Eel Style', specializing in swift strikes from unexpected angles. It works decently well on land, but excels underwater."

"You're right. I haven't heard of it. But then, I don't much about martial arts outside of the movies." Lincoln admitted with a chuckle. "As you could probably tell from my performance on the volleyball court, I'm not great with sports."

"Yeah, I could see that...er...no offense."

"None taken." From there, Lincoln and Gila shared a little more small talk until the time for their first class drew near. Gila bid goodbye to the human and he waved back, feeling pleased she was willing and able to talk so casually with him. Not only that, but practically face to face too. He was proud of her progress so far.

* * *

Later that evening, in his room, Lincoln was reading through an Ace Savvy trade collection in his pajamas in his room. While he usually read his comics in his underwear at home, he thought better of it here. Especially with one girl who could appear at any time. But he wasn't thinking of that right now. Right now, his focus was on the savviest superhero's battle against the villainous dice themed villain, Snake Eyes. But perhaps he should have considered it. Then maybe he would have seen the ghostly hands creeping up through his bed. But Lincoln was completely unaware, until the hands wrapped themselves around his midsection. He gasped as he was pulled up into the air by the giggling Phantasma.

"Surprise tickle attack!" She declared, digging her fingers into his stomach. Lincoln was thrown into hysterics in seconds, laughing his head off.

"Phahahahahhanty!"

"That's me! Hehehehehe!" She was chortling almost as hard as Lincoln laughed. Her ticklish assault was relentless, tickling him everywhere she could reach: his belly, his sides, ribs, even snuck her fingers into his underarms while his arms flailed around. Lincoln thrashed in his grip, trying to wiggle free. He does manage to slip out of her grasp, but she caught hold of his ankle before he could fall too far. He looks up at her as she gave him a teasing grin, wiggling her fingers over his foot. He shook his head frantically, but that only made the giggly ghost nod before her fingers danced on his sole. "Tickle tickle, Linky!" She chirped.

"Hahahahahahaha! Ok! You win Phahhahahahahahahanty! I can't tahahahahahahake it!" Lincoln cried out amidst his unstoppable guffaws. It was then that she stopped tickling him and let him go. Before he hit his bed, she swooped down and pulled him into a twirling hug, setting him down gently on the bed. "Hehehe. Phanty, you're no ghost. You're a tickle monster."

"Guilty as charged." She replied cheerfully with a small bow. "And you're such a good sport. It's what I love most about you." She added, playfully mussing up his hair. This made the human boy blush deeply. She was so distracted with giggling at his red cheeks that she didn't notice him pulling off one of her boots.

"Thanks. But you forgot one thing…"

"I did? What's that?"

"What the flip is that!?" He suddenly exclaimed, pointing behind Phantasma. She hastily turned around to find nothing there. However, she did feel a strong tickling sensation on her one bare foot. She nearly screamed with laughter, falling backwards against Lincoln. He was surprised by this, but furthered his counter attack. Her scribbled his fingers against her sole, his spectral friend soon helpless with hysterical giggles. He doesn't tickle her for long, only a few seconds before he stopped. "You forgot that what's good for the goose is good for the ghostly gander." He added with a smirk. Phantasma didn't say a word, her head slowly rotating around. The smirk vanished from his face as he saw a glare on her face he would usually associate with a very displeased Lori. "P...Phanty?" He asked nervously as she turned her whole body to face. "What's wrAAAAH!" He was about to ask what was wrong, but Phanty lunged at him before he could finish. Lincoln expected he was about to receive a pounding for his little stunt. What he didn't expect was for the spirited soul to be hugging him tightly and giving him a big kiss on the cheek.

"Gotcha again." She gloated playfully. "But credit where credit is due. You got me good too."

"So...you aren't mad at me?" He asked, trying to make sure he understood the situation correctly.

"Heck no! I love to laugh and I can take prank as good as I give it. Sorry if I spooked you too much."

"Heh. Don't give it a second thought. Say, as long as you're here, want to read a few comics with me?" He offered, though he doubted she'd accept. Phanty took a quick glance at the open comic on his bed and considered his offer a moment.

"Sure." She answered simply, floating over to lay down beside Lincoln, smiling as she put an arm around him while they started to read the first few pages together.

* * *

Thursday

"That's it, Lincoln. Just like that." Winnie said with a smile as she watched Lincoln set the volleyball back over the net. With some free time after lunch till the next evening class, she decided to coach her friend in volleyball. She wanted him to have a chance to play in the big game with the rest of the team, but he needed a lot of training to get to that level. Right now, they were just volleying the ball back and forth, with the sporty werewolf occasionally making Lincoln chase after the ball to return it. "Keep moving. Keep up that hustle."

"Thanks….again Winnie…" Lincoln wheezed as he ran clear across the court to set the spheroid back. He was getting pretty exhausted, but as Lynn always said; no pain, no gain.

"Anytime, Linc." She responded cheerfully. "You got the set down, but that's the easy part. Next one is pretty easy too: the bump." When her opponent returned the ball, Winnie placed her arms and hands together to bounce it back with her forearms. Lincoln tried to imitate her motions, but when he swung his arms up to repel the attack, the ball bounced right into his face.

"Ow!" Lincoln stumbled back, rubbing his nose and face.

"You ok, buddy?"

"Yeah...just a little sore…" He grumbled as the pain subsided.

"Next time, don't swing your arms. Let the ball bump into your arms to bounce it back." She instructed him, catching the ball as he threw it to her. "Let's try that once more."

"Preferably with less volleyball in my face." Lincoln muttered under his breath. Winnie snickered inaudibly, her keen ears easily picking up his muttering. She takes a moment before she served again. This time, he kept his arms still like Winnie said, sending the ball back to her.

"Much better." She told him with a smile, starting to send him around the court again. Still pretty tired but determined to keep going, he continued to return whatever his friend send his way. At one point, he had to slide to bump the ball back. "Whoa, slow down buddy. We haven't covered digs yet."

"Speaking of...slowing down….can we?" Lincoln asked as he lay in the dirt. He was coated with sweat an he was breathing very heavily. Winnie ran over to him with a water bottle.

"You're really pushing yourself hard…" Winnie commented as she helped him take a drink. "Too hard…"

"I know...but my family is going to be watching the game." Lincoln explained. "And if I get a chance to play, I don't want to make a fool of myself and lose you all the game."

"If?"

"Well, I've seen you all practice. You have a lot of strong, solid players. I doubt you guys would even need to pull me off the bench. However, injuries could happen, so just in case, I want to be ready to play at least decent."

"Come on, Linc. Stop being so hard on yourself. You aren't that bad." She told him. Lincoln slowly looks at her. "Well, you aren't terrible..you've been improving."

"Thanks to your coaching, Winnie."

"Hey, you're doing your part too, pal. Putting in so much effort." She told him, giving him a playful punch in the shoulder.

"Now if only volleyballs would stop pelting me in the face." Lincoln said, glaring at the ball.

"They don't always hit you in the face." Winnie replied, picking up the ball and tossing it over her shoulder. The ball bounced off one of the posts, then bumped right into the human boy's face. It didn't hurt at all though. "...on second thought."

"Anything you can suggest about that?" He asked, brushing dust from the end of his nose.

"Maybe something to protect your face?" She suggested with a shrug, half as a joke, half because she couldn't really suggest anything else. Lincoln considered what she said for a moment, stroking his chin.

"Hmmmm. Maybe Lynn could loan me something for that." He commented quietly. "Couldn't use it in the actual game, but for practice, it would help out a lot." He nodded to himself, which kind of confused his lycan friend. "Well, I think that's enough rest for me. What's next?" He asked aloud, rubbing his hands together.

"Are you sure?" He nodded in reply, causing Winnie to shrug. "If you say so, partner." She responded, resuming her position on the opposite side of the net to continue the lesson.

* * *

As the sun set, Lincoln Loud ascended the tower to the gym. However, he wasn't going there for a workout: he had enough of a workout earlier that day. He was asked up there by Sibella. With his eagerness to learn about magic, the vampiress was only too happy to show him some of the more advanced elements of spell casting. That evening, she was going to show him how the stars could influence magic. She was standing by the window facing the Calloway school, gazing out at the rising moon when Lincoln arrived at the top of the tower. "Lincoln, you're a little early." She said as she heard him step onto the solid wood floor, smiling as she turned to face him.

"Hi Sibella." He greeted her. "Doing well tonight?"

"Simply fangtastic, Lincoln. I trust you are well?"

"Can't complain. Spent a good chunk of the afternoon practicing with Winnie."

"Hmmm. I can tell." Sibella smirked as she moved over to him, feeling the muscles on his arm (what there were of them). "You're getting more fit." Lincoln blushed quite a bit, making the vampiress giggle. "Anyway, I thought we would do something a little different tonight. As you may know, there are many factors that can contribute to the strength or weakness of certain schools of magic. Tonight, we will be exploring one of the most influential factors to spellcasting; the stars and planets." She escorts him to the window and points up to the starry night sky.

"The stars?" Lincoln sounded a little confused.

"The stars." Sibella repeated with a nod as she transformed into a bat.

"Sibella? Why did you change into a baaaaah!" He was caught completely flat footed as the ghoul girl took hold of his hand and pulled him out the window. Despite her size as a bat, she was pretty strong: more than enough to carry the scrawny Loud. It hardly made him feel better about being so high in the air though. She soon let him down upon the old roof of the tower before landing beside him and changing back in a glow of lavender light. "...a little warning next time, please Sibella…?"

"Sorry, Lincoln. But as you can see, this location does have the very best view of the stars." She laid on her back and gestured toward the sky. Lincoln slowly looked up and was amazed at the glittering splendor above him. He started to relax, laying back beside his spellcasting tutor and friend. "Ages past, when man and monster were first exploring the stars with nothing more than their eyes, a handful of clever warlocks and witches started to notice something strange regarding their magic. On certain days and certain months, certain spells seemed to have a greater effect, while others would have greatly diminished effects. At first, they thought jealous rivals were sabotaging them, but they eventually found a correlation between their spellcasting and the location of certain celestial bodies in the sky. For example, Orion the hunter." She directed his attention to the constellation just barely visible in the sky. "When he was present, offensive spells and spells of self defense were more powerful. It was an ideal time for dueling. But along with him came the star Betelgeuse, which had an influence on spells designed for guile, trickery and deceit."

"So sneak attacks were frequent during these times?" Lincoln inquired.

"Quite right. It got so bad that a code of honor and ethics needed to be established to prevent warlocks and witches from wiping each other, or the mortals, out during these times. However, if you will turn your attention to Venus…" They both gazed right above them, to the barely visible orb that was Venus. "...that planet actually cancels Orion, empowering enchantments, mind and mood altering spells instead."

"Mood altering spells?" Lincoln asked, glancing over to Sibella.

"Yes. Love spells in particular." She glanced back at him with a smirk. He hastily snapped his eyes back to the sky, his cheeks turning red again. "Hehehe. Oh, Lincoln, do you practice to be so adorable or does it come naturally?" His blush brightened even more, the vampiress delighted at his reaction.

"Er...what about the moon?" He asked quickly, pointing at the half moon peeking out over the horizon.

"Ah. The moon. Just like how it controls the tides, it can control the overall power behind a caster's spell. The full moon is when magic of all kinds are nearly at their most powerful, without the aid of other stars and planets. On the other side of the coin, a new moon brings spells to their weakest, which is when Miss Grimwood prefers to teach offensive spells. Reduces the risk of someone getting hurt. The phases in between have very little influence. However, there are three times when spells become most dangerous."

"When are those?" Lincoln asked, Sibella having his undivided attention.

"During a lunar and solar eclipse for one and two. It doesn't matter where the stars or planets are when these events take place; when an eclipse happens, spells go utterly haywire. Even the most powerful caster has trouble controlling the strength of their spells when the sun and moon meet. It's considered best to avoid using magic during these times. And finally, during a rare lunar event called the Blood Moon. During this time, all spells are at their most powerful, but it also affects the personalities of witches, warlocks and monsters alike. They become more aggressive, more hostile, lose inhibitions...in short, they become the very monsters that humans fear they are…" Sibella's smile vanished, a chill running down her spine at the thought. Usually, scary thoughts were something fun to consider, but this was a thought too frightening even for her. Lincoln noticed her look of concern and gently reached out to place his hand on hers. She snapped out of her somber musing, turning her eyes to his hand, then to the human lad beside her. Her surprise soon turned into a warm smile as she gently took hold of his hand, both of them blushing lightly. However, neither one released the hand of them other. Lincoln couldn't help but really notice the vampiress' beautiful features in the moonlight. Her long, soft hair, her smooth pale skin, her borderline hypnotic eyes...how had he not noticed them before? Perhaps the moonlight really brought them into focus. In turn, Sibella always considered Lincoln to be cute, what with his chipped tooth, those little freckles, and his shiny white hair. Not to mention how easily he blushed when she teased him. But here, in this moment, she started to notice something else. Something...enchanting.

The two stared into each others eyes for a few minutes before both realized they were staring and quickly looked back to the stars, a blush on their cheeks and a sheepish grin on their faces. After a moment of silence, Sibella glanced to Lincoln and shifted closer to him, until she was right next to him. He turned to look at her when he felt her arm touching his. They share another smile before she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Lincoln froze in place in surprise, except for one hand which slowly reached up to touch the spot where he was kissed. Sibella chortled sweetly at the look on his face before she rested her head on his shoulder, the rest of the private lesson forgotten. Instead the two simply enjoyed the night sky together on the roof of the tower.


	10. Chapter 10: Royal Woods Bonding

_AN: Think I bit off more than I could chew with this one, and certain sections may have suffered as a result. But here's hoping they're still enjoyable._

* * *

Bonding at Royal Woods

Friday

School had just ended for the Loud kids and Zanya and, like any other day, Vanzilla had pulled up to the Loud House. The only major difference was that all the Loud kids were dropped off from the family van...except for two: Leni and Lori. A few days back, the Loud sisters (minus Lola) got together and planned to spend some time with Zanya during the weekend. Up to that point, the only girls who managed to spend any significant time with her were Lana (her temporary roommate) and Lucy. Lori and Leni were first that afternoon, with plans to take Zanya to the mall with them. The eldest Loud sister still had a nagging bad feeling whenever she was around Zanya, in spite of knowing she was alright. She couldn't explain it and she most certainly didn't like it, but she couldn't shake it either. 'Perhaps spending some more time with her will help get rid of that feeling…' Lori hoped as she drove the family van into a parking space.

"So, what are we doing here today?" The zombie girl asked as the emerged from the van.

"We're just coming by to browse and hang out." Leni told her with a smile. "But if we happen to find a cute top or adorable pair of shoes…."

"Hehehe. Just as well that we're just browsing. I didn't bring any money." Zanya admitted as she pulled her backpack onto her back.

"Just watch your spending, Leni." Lori warned her younger sister and roommate. "We don't need a repeat of last time…"

"The sign said buy one get one free…" Leni defended herself slightly sadly. Lori rolled her eyes as the three of them strolled right into the mall. Zanya had been there once before with Lincoln's friends, but this would be her first time to really explore the mall. Being led by Lori and Leni, they spent most of their time at clothes stores, looking at the latest fashions. While Zanya did take a little pride in her appearance, fashion wasn't really her bag. This became clear to Lori when she saw the bored look on her face after the tenth or fifteenth time they had her try an outfit on.

"Something wrong?" Lori asked as corpse child examined herself in the mirror wearing a tank top, jacket and skirt ensemble that Leni picked out for her like she were watching paint dry.

"I appreciate what you both are trying to do. I really do. But this fashion stuff...it's just not for me…" She answered glumly. Lori's face fell a bit as she pondered what to do. She was no stranger to this predicament; few of her siblings were as keen on she and Leni were in looking their absolute best all the time. However, this was a different case. Lori knew very little about the zombie girl, due to her unexplainable uneasiness around her. She signalled to her less than brilliant sister that she needed to talk to her, stepping away from the changing room in which Zanya was changing back into her original outfit.

"Leni, Zanya isn't having as much fun as we thought." She whispered to her.

"Yeah...I got that impression…" Leni replied quietly and sadly.

"I don't suppose you have an idea of what she likes, apart from her favorite snacks, do you?" Lori asked in a hush before sheepishly admitting. "...cause I haven't a clue.."

"Well...I heard her tell Lynn she really enjoys playing soccer and volleyball." Leni replied. "But I don't really know too much about those games, apart from the bare bones basics."

"That will do, Leni. I have an idea." Lori grinned a bit as she motioned her sister to follow her lead. Zanya emerged from the dressing room, her melancholy look changing to one of surprise as the two eldest Loud sisters took her by the arms and escorted her out of the store.

"Where are we going?" She asked the two blondes to either side of her.

"Someplace we think you'll like." Leni commented with a smile. Zanya kind of had her doubts about that. Those doubts were quickly dispelled when they stopped in front of The Locker Room, Lynn's absolute favorite sporting goods store in the mall. Her eyes widened, a smile appearing on her face as she ran in. Lori and Leni both giggled, finding her excitement adorable. Meanwhile, from a few benches further down the way, Malora and her two friends were spying on the trio...or more accurately, her two friends were. Malora was simply looking casual to avoid suspicion.

"They just went in." The red eyed blonde girl whispered, stowing her tiny binoculars away.

"Good work, Mitzy." Malora responded. "Now we just need to wait for those goons from Hazeltuckey…"

"We don't take too kindly to being called goons…" Came the gruff voice of the burly but squeamish bully, Hank. Right beside him was the equally brutish and blood shy Hawk, cracking his knuckles.

"If the shoe fits...but I digress. I need you two to do a little job for me." She said, pulling out a bag of expensive chocolates.

"What kinda job?"" Hawk asked, though his attention was on the confections in the sack.

"In that store over there is a girl. About so high, ratty black hair, pale skin that's kind of green for some reason, seen with two tall blonde girls." She explained, holding her hand at a certain level to indicate Zanya's height.. "She's carrying a backpack, which she keeps full of food. I want you to swipe all that food from her. In return, you get all these, plus whatever you choose to eat from her stash. Whatever you don't want, destroy."

"Sounds easy enough…" Hank said, rubbing his chin as he pretended to consider the offer. "Ok. But we get paid up front." He added, holding out his hand.

"Of course. But be warned…" She cautioned as she handed him the bag of sweets. "If you try and bail with your payment, you will be sorry…"

"Whatever you say." He replied unconcerned, shoving a handful of chocolate into his mouth and giving his partner a handful of his own. "Come on, Hawk."

"So...how are we gonna get the stuff?"" Hawk asked, his mouth full of chocolate candy.

"Don't worry. I got a plan." Hank said with a smirk.

Back inside the sports store, Zanya was busy testing a soccer ball by bouncing it off her knees and her head. It was a shame she left her money at home, since it was a good ball and she needed a new one. Her old one at home was nearly worn to the point of popping. "Find something you like?" Lori asked, approaching her with a smile.

"Yeah. But it'll have to wait until I come back next time." She said, catching the ball in her hands.

"No it won't." Lori told her, patting her on the shoulder with only a small shudder. "This soccer ball is on me."

"Really? Are you sure, Lori?" Zanya asked in surprise.

"Absolutely."

"And no one says you couldn't look good while playing." Leni chimed in, holding up a pale blue and black soccer jersey with matching shorts. "Why don't you try them on?" She suggested, leading her to one of the little locker shaped dressing rooms. Second later, she emerged in the new soccer outfit with a smile.

"What do you think?" She asked the eldest Loud sisters.

"Totes cute." Leni responded with a thumbs up.

"It says I'm gonna literally kick your butt, and look adorable at the same time." Lori added smiling.

"I like it too. It's comfy and allows for full range of movement." Zanya said, looking at the full length mirror by the dressing room.

"Say no more. This one is my treat." Leni chirped. "I insist."

"Awww. Thanks!" Zanya ran over to them, giving them both a big hug. To Lori's surprise, she didn't even flinch this time, even returning the embrace with Leni.

A few minutes later, Lori, Leni and Zanya emerged from the store carrying a large store bag, discussing their next move. "I think we should stop by the nail salon real quick. I could use a manicure." Leni said, looking at her nails.

"That's fine, Leni. Where would you like to go, Zanya?" Lori asked their young guest.

'Hey! You three…" The two louds and the zombie girl all looked up at the sound of Hank's voice.

"What do you want…?" Lori asked with a glare and a frown, stepping in front of Zanya in a defensive move. She hadn't forgotten what this overstuffed bully did to her neighborhood on Halloween.

"Whoa, chill a bit. I just wanted some directions." He replied calmly, motioning with his hands that she could calm down. "My mom's birthday is coming up and I wanna surprise her, but this is my first time here and this place is a maze…"

"Awwww. That is so sweet…" Leni commented with a big smile, stepping forward to help him. "Now, what exactly did you have in mind?" The eldest Loud sister watched as her kindly, but dull witted sister went over to help Hank, her eyes locked on the bully. His intentions sounded legit, but she had her doubts and she wasn't going to give him the chance to pull something. What she didn't know was he already had. While they were all looking at him, Hawk snuck up behind Zanya and quietly unzipped her backpack. Just as he reached his hand inside, her stomach started to grumble. Hawk froze in place as her hand started to reach back to get a snack from her pack. In a moment of panic, he quickly hands her some carrot sticks. She didn't think anything of this as she ate the vegetables, not looking back. He sighed inaudibly as he hastily emptied her bag of all her snacks.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" A passerby shouted as they noticed him with his hands on her snacks. The shout got the attention of the two Louds and the Grimwood girl, Hawk caught red handed.

"SCATTER!" Hank shouted as he bolted away from them, Hawk already taking to his heels.

"Oh no you don't!" Lori shouted, charging after the tubby thief. She'd deal with Hank later; this thief needed a pummeling here and now. Meanwhile, Zanya was left with Leni, holding her growling stomach. The carrot sticks she had just eaten weren't going to satisfy her for long and she knew it.

"Don't worry, Zanya. Lori will get your stuff back. In the meantime, let's head to the food court and get you a little snack." Leni said calmly, patting her on the back as she led the zombie girl through the mall. Malora grinned as she watched while pretending to read a magazine.

"Just wait until they get to the food court…" Malora whispered to her friends.

"Why? What's waiting for them there?" The green eyed blonde asked.

"Let's just say I called in a few favors, Jen." Malora responded, malice dripping in her tone. Zanya was starting to groan in discomfort by the time she and Leni arrived at the area where fast food places usually served hundreds of mall patrons every day. Today, however, the oddest thing had happened. Each and every food place on the food court was closed.

"Huh...what are the odds?" Leni asked, scratching her head. She was utterly clueless as to the cruel joke being played here. Zanya's stomach grumbled loudly as she was forced to sit down in an unused chair, wincing in pain. "Zanya?"

"It's starting to hurt.." She moaned, holding her gut. Leni's eyes widened in fear.

"Oh….it'll be ok. There's a frozen yogurt place right by the entrance...we can get you some froyo." Leni reassured her, helping her out of the chair. Seeing Leni and her victim returning to the main hall of the mall, Malora snapped her finger and pointed toward where Leni was planning to go. Mitsy nods and quickly slips ahead of them and toward a crowd of shoppers. As soon the two were halfway there, Mitzy whispered something into the ear of the nearest shopper.

"Free frozen yogurt!?" Someone shouted before everyone charged toward the froyo establishment, creating a living blockade at the entrance.

"Oh come on…." Leni objected with a frown. "Now we won't get any free yogurt…" She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Leni…..is there any place else we can get something to eat…?" Zanya whimpered, looking like she was in serious pain at this point. Her stomach was practically roaring now, and she was doubled over from hunger pains.

"Hey...is she ok?" A woman in the back asked as she heard the zombie girl's stomach.

"I don't think so...she's really hungry…" Leni said fearfully, kneeling by her pained friend. "Do you have a little something, ma'am?" The woman who inquired about Zanya simply shrugged. "Someone? Anyone!?" The big hearted Loud called out as the ghoul girl collapsed from the pain.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the mall, Chandler was strolling along, nibbling on a frankfurter with mustard. He had come to check out the arrival of a recently released video game, but to his misfortune, this branch of the Gamelot didn't receive a delivery of that game. Unable to get his game, he decided he'd just look around before heading home. He was just starting to get bored when he heard Leni's cries for help and Zanya's groans of pain. The brown haired boy ran to the railing and looked down to the lower level. "Doesn't anyone have anything? An energy bar? Candy? Anything!?" Leni begged, gently holding the zombie girl in her arms, a crowd starting to form around them. "Please! She needs something to eat, quick!" Chandler gasped to himself as he looked around for the nearest elevator or escalator. Naturally, there weren't any nearby. He only had one option; one option he took in a heartbeat. He vaulted over the railing and fell toward the ground below. His sudden move caused some of the assembled mall patrons to scream, which got Leni's attention. She looked up just in time to catch him before he could hit the ground from nearly ten feet above, Zanya's head in her lap.

"Nice catch." He commented. "Quick. Give her this." He handed her the two thirds of a hot dog he had. Leni nodded and brought the frank down to Zanya's mouth. She voraciously took bites from the sausage, nearly nipping Leni's fingers in the process. "How are you feeling, beautiful?"

"...thanks, Chandler." She said with a weak smile. "I'm feeling a little better." She slowly sat up as Leni set Chandler down. "I'm not sure how long it will hold me though."

"How did it come to that, by the way? I thought you always carried snacks with you."

"These two big bullies stole from her." Leni responded angrily. "But not to worry. Lori's on the case. She'll catch them."

"Sorry, Leni...but they got away." They all turned to look at the irate Lori stomping toward them, a little bag in one hand and a shoe in the other hand. "I was able to save something after I sacked the fat jerk though." She held up the plastic bag full of pomegranate seeds.

"Thank you for trying, Lori…" Zanya told her.

"You're looking a bit better. You managed to find a snack?" Lori asked her, handing her the bag.

"Thanks to Chandler, I did."

"Is that so?"

"It is." Leni confirmed as the famished zombie girl shoved seeds by the handful into her mouth. "He lept from all the way up there and gave Zanya his hot dog."

"T'was nothing." Chandler said with a smirk, rubbing his fingernails against his chest in a cocky manner.

"Nothing? it was truly heroic." Leni said with a smile. "If I weren't here to catch you, you would have broken your legs to help her." Lori tapped her chin as she leered at Chandler. To her surprise, there were several other witnesses to his act.

'Well I'll be darned…' She thought. 'Perhaps there is something else to that brat after all.'

Meanwhile, in the distance, Malora was snickering cruelly, after having laughed quite hard at the sight of Zanya collapsing from hunger. "That was rich…" She commented quietly. "And here I thought she was lying about needing to eat so much." What she didn't know was she was the only one there laughing. Jen had seen what had happened, but she was more horrified than amused. Zanya sounded like she as in agony toward the end, which really yanked at her heart strings. It felt like they were going too far. However, she didn't have the nerve to tell Malora, pretending to laugh just to keep up appearances. The mean popular girl never noticed, as she was so focused on what she could do to Zanya next.

With her stomach full (at the moment) of tasty pomegranate seeds, the zombie girl was looking bright eyed and bushy tailed again. After giving Chandler a big hug for coming to her rescue, thanking him and bidding him goodbye, she and the Loud sisters returned to their day at the mall. A nagging feeling started to return to Lori's mind, but it wasn't about Zanya being so closer to her. It was about what had just happened. Leni had described how the entire food court was closed when they tried to go there, and the sudden run for the yogurt store. While her naive sister didn't give it much thought, Lori couldn't help but feel there was something seriously wrong here. It was way too much of a coincidence that all this happened just after Hank and Hawk robbed her of all her food. She knew there had to be something deeper behind everything that just happened; she just didn't know what it was or why it was focused on their ghoulish guest. Not wishing to upset Zanya any more than she already had been as a result of her near starving experience, Lori decided to keep her pondering to herself for now as Leni brought them all to the pet store (she couldn't resist the puppies and kittens). That said, she wasn't planning to let those buffoons get away with this. No one messes with her family or their friends without facing the consequences...

* * *

Saturday

It was bright and early Saturday morning and Lynn Jr was already out in the backyard, setting up a pair of goal nets. She and the zombie girl had made plans to play some one on one soccer, and the sporty Loud was really looking forward to it. She was testing out Zanya's new soccer ball while she waited for her to get ready. "Hmmm. Just the right amount of air, good and firm, nice bounce." She commented quietly. "She can really pick a soccer ball."

"Thanks." Zanya said with a grin as she ran out in her new soccer unifomr.

"There you are. Hey, looking good, Z. Not exactly Royal Woods colors, but looks cool on you anyway." Lynn critiqued, grinning. "So, you ready to face Lynnsanity?"

"Bring it on." Zanya replied, running in front of her goal.

"Love the attitude." Lynn said as she let the ball land on the ground before she started to lead the ball to the left. Zanya braced herself and shifted herself to her right to prepare to defend her net. The athletic Loud then suddenly turned to the right, looking like she was about to make a shot for the goal. Her undead opponent moved to prepare to block, but Lynn had feinted right, but shot to the left. Zanya quickly dove for the shot, barely able to knock the ball away with the tips of her fingers. "Nice hustle, Z!" Lynn called out as she ran backwards to her own goal.

"Thanks." The ghoulish goalie called back, starting to dribble the ball along toward Lynn. Instead of kicking it toward her, however, she kicks the ball up onto her knee and then up into the air. She then leaped up and headbutted the ball toward the goal. The ponytailed sports star sprang up to meet it, letting it hit her square in the chest. The powerful shot didn't stop her, but it did stumble her a little. "Wow. Solid defense." Zanya commented.

"Thanks. That shot had some punch to it." Lynn replied as she regained her composure. Zanya hurried back to cover her goal as the sport-a-holic planned her next move. Her opponent was no pushover, like Lincoln used to be. She was actually a challenge, and that prospect thrilled Lynn to no end. This was going to be fun for her. Lynn starts to move in a serpentine pattern, trying to fake Zanya out. When she got into shooting range, she kicked the ball right to her, expecting her to dive one way or the other. However, the zombie girl wasn't fooled and caught the ball. The force of the kick sent her skidding back in the grass nearly into the net. "Whoa…"

"Pretty strong, huh?" Lynn asked with a smirk. "But you still tanked it. Nice one." She complimented before she resumed her defense. Like her opponent, Zanya decided to try something Lynn wouldn't expect. She booted the ball clear across the backyard toward the goal. It was still blocked by the sporty Loud. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, her love of the challenge and desire to win really firing her up. She charged toward like a freight train, kicking with all her might toward the goal. Zanya missed the block, but Lynn's haste caused her aim to suffer. It hit the top of the net and bounced back, striking Zanya in the back of the head. She closed her eyes as her head was thrust forward. She could feel something fall at her feet, so she kicked it. The moment she did, she felt her head spin wildly as it flew through the air, landing in the net opposite her. When she opened her eyes and the world stopped spinning, she saw her body jumping up and down in celebration and Lynn kneeling by her head. "Err. Nice shot, Z, but your head isn't the ball."

"Oops." Zanya said with a light blush before she started laughing. She was soon joined by Lynn, who was laughing both from the humor of the situation and the fact they were having so much fun.

* * *

After a hearty lunch and a shower to follow an intense Lynn Loud workout, Zanya was ready for something more relaxing. Fortunately for her, Lucy had asked to see her after she had come out of the bathroom. Of all of Lincoln's sisters, Lucy was probably the one she got along best with. Possibly because she reminded her of her friends back at Grimwood's, though Lucy was a little darker and more somber. Or possibly because she was the first to open up to her and greet her. Whatever the reason, Zanya strode into the room Lucy and Lynn shared with a smile on her face, seeing Lucy sitting beside an old picture of a young girl that looked a lot like her. A circle of candles surrounded her and a crystal ball sat in front of her. "Ah. Zanya. Your timing is perfect." The little goth said, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Hey Lucy. What are you up to? A seance?" Zanya asked curiously.

"Yes. I would like you to meet someone quite close to me." Lucy responded, beckoning her to sit in front of her, on the other side of the crystal ball. Curious, the zombie girl took a seat by the seer's tool, holding both of Lucy's hands. "Great Grandma Harriet, I beseech you from the land of the living. Come to us, please." She called out, the electric lights in the room going out by themselves. A chill started to fill the room as the hazy image of a small, elderly woman with long dark hair covering her eyes appeared hovering over the glass sphere.

"Lucy, dearest...it is a pleasure to see you again." The ghost said, smiling at her younger counterpart.

"Always a pleasure, Great Grandma." Lucy replied. "I'd like you to meet a new friend of ours." She points to Zanya, who simply waved cheerfully at the spirit. Lucy's late great grandmother just looked at her before turning to the young goth with a frown.

"Lucy...raising the dead!? You know your mother would not approve, and neither do I!" The ghost scolded her.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I wasn't risen by Lucy." Zanya explained. "My mother brought me back, with science."

"Oh. Goodness me, I am sorry for jumping to conclusions like that, dear."

"It's ok, Great Grandma. It's an easy mistake to make."

"At any rate, who is this young zombie?"

"My name is Zanya." The corpse child introduced herself. "I'm an exchange student from Miss Grimwood's finishing school."

"Grimwood? As in old Abigail Grimwood?" Great Grandmother Harriet asked in surprise.

"You know her?" Lucy and Zanya asked together.

"Not personally, but I knew of her. Good lady, and one heck of a witch." The spectral old lady elaborated upon. "I mean, I know my way around a spellbook, but if even half the things about Grimwood are true, I'm an amatuer compared to her."

"Lincoln is currently learning with her as we speak." Lucy interjected with a smile of pride.

"Little Linky is learning from her? Good for him. I imagine he would make quite a warlock someday...just like how you'll make quite a witch, Lucy." A very soft blush appeared on Lucy's cheeks.

"You're a witch, ma'am?" Zanya asked with a tilted head.

"Call me Harriet, dearie. And yes, I was a witch. Everyone in our family is." She explained. "However, only Lucy had truly embraced her talent for witchcraft until recently. A shame, really, but what can you do?" The ethereal woman shrugged a little. "How is the family, by the way?"

"They are well, apart from Lana and Lola." Lucy answered her, a hint of her old glumness returning.

"Are they still fighting? Goodness, this was quite the big one, wasn't it?"

"Unfortunately. It's reached the point where Lola won't even talk to anyone anymore." Zanya looked a little depressed as this subject was brought up.

""What exactly caused the argument this time?"

"Lola's intolerance." Lucy replied simply. Through her hair, she did glance at Zanya.

"I see. Well, those two little firebrands usually cool off on their own." The ghostly Harriet said, turning toward the left hand wall, though her eyes were looking at the zombie girl. "That said, a few kind words could help the process too." She added with a bit of a smirk. The Grimwood girl tilted her head a bit, wondering if she was talking to her or Lucy. "Tell me, Zanya...how has the world of humans been treating you?"

"Eh. Kind of so so. The kids and my new teachers, Miss Johnson, are really nice." Zanya said. "But most of the other teachers, and especially Principal Huggins, treat me differently from the others. They force me to sit out from gym and recess, and force me to keep my zombiehood a secret."

"That doesn't sound right…" Harriet frowned, her finger tapping her top lip as she listened. "Why would they do that?"

"He's afraid that if the other kids learned she was a zombie, they would turn on her." Lucy explained.

"Which is nonsense. I told a few kids about it and they're cool with it." Zanya added.

"Hmmmm. That sounds to me like he's paving the road to Hades with good intentions." Harriet commented. "Good intentions, but foolish assumptions."

"I couldn't agree more." The zombie girl nodded.

"Would you like me to put a curse on him, dear? A few canker sores or a boil or two in strategic locations…" The ghostly woman snickered a bit, sounding a bit like Luan there for a second.

"As tempting as that sounds, no thank you." Zanya answered, shaking her head. "Mr and Mrs Loud and I are striving to get him to change his mind. He's been pretty stubborn, but I think we're making progress."

"If you say so dear." Harriet said, privately pleased that Zanya was willing to use peaceful means to resolve her issue. "Well, it has been delightful, dearies, but as much as I would love to stay, I must be going."

"Must you go so soon?" Zanya asked, wishing she could talk with her a little more.

"I'm afraid so. My presence here isn't as strong as it could be. It was lovely seeing you again, Lucy, and marvelous meeting you, Zanya. Please do keep in touch."

"I will, Great Grandma Harriet." Lucy replied. "Would you like me to call you on Halloween, while we're visiting Lincoln at Miss Grimwood's?"

"Oh, that would be marvelous. I can stay much longer on Halloween." Harriet smiled at Lucy, giving her a hug before she turned and hugged Zanya too. "Farewell, kids. I hope to see you both in the living realm soon, and the other side after many, many happy years." She said as she faded away, her voice becoming a sort of echo. The lights came back on as soon as Lucy's late Great Grandmother returned from wence she came.

* * *

"I thank you for your assistance in this venture, Zanya." Lisa said as she added a few drops of a green chemical into a silvery compound. The little genius was wearing thick work gloves, a reinforced coat, and prescription goggles as she worked. Zanya was standing beside her, also wearing goggles and gloves. Lily was watching curiously from behind a thick, clear blast shield surrounding her crib. "This is a tricky process, and an extra pair of hands could only be a benefit."

"No problem, Lisa, though I'm not as good with chemistry and science as Elsa is." She told her, watching over her shoulder.

"Fear not. I will handle the more complicated procedures." Lisa explained to her. "Right now, I need you to pour some of the sulfate solution into the beaker." She instructed, carefully swirling the test tube she was holding to mix the two chemicals. Zanya nodded lightly, looking at the many racks of liquids and powders in front of her. "it's the red liquid, third from the right in the back." Lisa added without even looking.

"Thank you." The undead child grabbed a clean beaker and poured the contents of the one tube into it.

"Next phase, I need you to add a very small amount of powdered aluminum to the solution. Barely a pinch." Zanya replaced the first tube and grabbed the one with the finely powdered metal within. Being as careful as she could, she let a few particles of the dust sprinkle into the glass container. "Did the solution change colors?"

"No. It's still red."

"Excellent." Lisa smiled as she held her test tube between two small copper spheres, which had electricity arcing between them. She let the glass tube get shocked by the tiny bolts for a half a second before pulling it away quickly. The mixture turned a sickly green. "Good. Good." While waiting for her next instructions, Zanya looked toward Lily, who was quietly watching them. She smiled and waved to the baby Loud, who excitedly waved back. "Zanya, please focus." Lisa scolded her.

"Sorry." Zanya quickly turned back to the work table before her. "What's next?"

"I need you to heat the solution to about 80 C. It doesn't need to be exactly 80, but don't go any hotter."

"Right." The zombie gal placed the beaker on a stand over a bunsen burner, watching a thermometer as the liquid started to heat up. Lisa hastily poured in a bright yellow paste into her mixture, which turned a brighter green. The young genius mixed up the contents while she waited for her assistant to finish. As the solution grew closer to the desired temperature, Zanya turned off the burner, knowing it would keep heating up for a few seconds after the heat being removed. "Ok, ready."

"Well done." The little professor leaned over to pour her mixture into the solution. A thick plumb of smoke shot from the top of the beaker before the final mixture turned a light brown. "Well, at the risk of jinxing it, it appears we have done it. Thank you, Zanya."

"You're welcome, Lisa." Zanya said, shaking her hand. "So...what were we doing?"

"We were creating a chemical compound that, when turned into its gaseous form, can potentially run a combustible engine with far greater efficiency to fossil fuels. More power for less overall fuel." Lisa explained as the beaker started to shake and smoke. The two looked toward the troubling sight. "Dang it…" She grumbled right before the mixture exploded. Lisa was thrown clear across the room, slamming into a pillow she had taped to the wall. "Score one for foresight…" Lisa mumbled as she landed on the ground on her rear. "Zanya, are you alright?" She asked, unable to see her undead aide in the thick, black smoke.

"I think so." Zanya replied, her voice sounding like it was coming from Lily's crib. The blast had blown the zombie girl apart, her arms, hands, legs and feet scattered all around the room, and her torso flopped to the ground right by the door. Her head landed right on Lily's pillow, the toddler crawling over to her. "Hehe. Hi there, Lily."

""Zaya." Lily cooed, picking up Zanya's head like it were a ball.

"Please don't try to bounce me." She pleaded, but Lily intended to hug her instead, which is exactly what she did. "Oh. That's fine." A relieved Zanya said, smiling. She couldn't hug the baby back, but Lily didn't seem to mind. She set the head back onto the pillow and scampered to the other side of the crib as Lisa finally cleared out the worst of the smoke.

"Ah. There you are." Lisa said, moving the blast shield aside. "Or at least part of you."

"I guess those staples couldn't quite take a point blank blast." Zanya commented as Lily came back with her teddy bear in tow, setting it by her head. "Awww, you wanna share, cutie?" The toddler nodded, going to get her blanket next.

"At the risk of sounding like a smart aleck, stay put. I'll go get the rest of you put together." Zanya glanced at her with a half amused, half annoyed look just before Lily covered her head with the blanket.

"Hey...Lily, what are you doing?" Suddenly, the youngest of the Loud pulled the blanket up to look under it at her.

"Eek a bah!" She babbled, giggling a lot.

"Eek a…? Oh! You mean peek a boo." Lily nodded, covering Zanya's face again before uncovering it again.

"Eek a bah!" Now Zanya was laughing a bit, while Lily was having a ball. The game of peek a boo lasted for a few minutes as Lisa gathered Zanya's scattered parts and started to reassemble her. Though focused on her task, Lisa's mind couldn't help but realize that this was one of the stranger things she's done to date; reassembling a zombie. As Lisa was connecting Zanya's legs to her hips, Lily was getting a little bored of peek a boo. In fact, she was about ready for a nap. She yawned, shifting the loose head over a little so she could lay down beside her. She gives Zanya's head a little kiss on the cheek. "Nigh nigh, Zaya."

"Hehe. Night night, Lily." Zanya replied, rocking her head a bit so she could give Lily a soft kiss on the forehead before she drifted off.

"I don't usually allow myself to embrace such mundane human emotions...but what the hey..." Lisa started to say as she watched he scene before her. "...Awwwwwww." Zanya chuckled a bit as Lisa carefully lifted her from the crib, trying not to disturb her baby sister. With a little effort and a step ladder, she places the head on top of her now completed body. "There we go. How do you feel, Zanya?"

"Never better. Thanks Lisa." She said, holding up a hand to LIsa, only to find it upside down.

"...it appears I placed your right hand on your left arm and vice versa….oops."

"No worries, LIsa. It happens from time to time." Zanya reassured her, carefully pulling her hands off her arms and putting them back on the right sides.

* * *

Sunday

"So, you excited, Zanya?" Luna asked as she and Luan helped her roadie, Chunk, load her gear onto his van. She had a really big gig that afternoon at one of their favorite theme parks, Dairyland, and she thought it would be a great chance for her and her joking roommate to get to know their zombie guest: Luan before her performance and Luna after.

"A little. I've never heard of Dairyland till now." She admitted. "But I do enjoy rides, so it should be fun."

"Right, but let's not forget Luna's performance, luvs." Chunk said as he tossed a few speakers into the back. "She's gonna rock the park so hard, the yanks could make milkshakes just by standing in the audience."

"Thanks, Chunk. Not gonna lie though. I'm both super excited and a touch nervous."

"Ah, no need for the nerves, sis." Luan said, putting her arm around Luna onto her shoulder. "You'll do great. But if you do feel those nerves return, just try the tried and true method of calming down on stage. Imagine everyone in the audience as someone you aren't scared of...like Sam. Or imagine them in their underwear. Or they're all Sam in her underwear." Luan grinned as Luna blushed and glared at her.

"Luan!" She yelled.

"Hahaha. Ok. Ok. But my point remains." Luan said, patting Luna on the back as the rocker resisted the urge to slap her younger sister. "And you forgot about your nerves, right?"

"Well...yeah, I guess."

"Then missions accomplished." The family clown giggled as she sprinted to the back seat of the van opposite Zanya. Luna sighed, shaking her head as Luan sought sanctuary in the car, making her way to the front passenger seat.

"'Ey, Lunes." Chunk whispered to Luna as he sat in the driver's seat. "Not me business or nuttin', but Zanya looks a little green around the gills…"

"Oh...no, she's always like that. She's a zombie." She whispered back to the bulky brit she called her friend. His eyebrows raised as he looked back at Zanya, noticing the metal clamps positioned along her neck and collarbone.

"No fooling?" He asked Luna.

"I swear by Swagger, mate. But she's cool." Luna explained quietly.

"I figured if yer family's cool with her 'anging around. Still...who'da thunk it, eh?" He replied, taking the news rather well. "A real zombie." He shrugged as he started the van, the Loud girls and Zanya waving to the remaining Louds who came out to see them ff, except for Lola, who just seemed to be there. The ride to Dairyland was fairly long, but they managed to keep themselves amused with some of Luan's jokes (or at least Luan and Zanya did) and some funny anecdotes from Chunk's time on tour..He was just finishing a tale of how his signature guitar had broke mid song, so he had to air guitar the rest of the song since he didn't have a replacement. The audience loved it then, and Zanya was loving it now. As he finished his story, he also pulled into a reserved parking spot close to the front entrance to Dairyland.

"Alright, Lulu. You take Zanya and show her a good time till showtime." Luna said as she and Chunk started to unload the van.

"Roger that. We'll be there with bells on." Luan quipped, rapping against a cowbell on one of the many cow mascot statues and laughing. Zanya giggled politely, but Luna simply rolled her eyes as the practical joker took Zanya's hand and led her into the theme park. "So, where shall we start?" She said, more to herself than her undead friend, since she wasn't familiar with the park. "Hmmm. If you like thrill rides, maybe The Churn is your speed." Luan commented, pointing at a drop tower made to look like a butter churn. "Or maybe you like roller coasters. We could try Moofi's Stampede." She pointed to a roller coaster that consisted of three tracks, each with their own set of cars running simultaneously along a chaotically winding course.

"How about the Ferris Wheel?" Zanya suggested as she pointed out the massive circular ride near the south side of the park.

"Hmmmm. Has its ups and downs, but sure. Hahahaha!" The two of them squirmed through the crowds at the popular park, eventually arriving at the ferris wheel. It wasn't the most popular ride there (surrounded by so many other more exciting rides), so the line to get on was short. Zanya and Luan each got a carriage together before the ride started to move. The zombie girl smiled whimsically as she saw the view of Dairyland the further up they went. Luan seemed to be enjoying the view as well, but also seemed a touch distracted.

"Zanya...can I get your honest opinion on something?" She asked, turning to face her corpse friend. "No jokes?"

"Sure, Luan. What's on your mind?" Zanya replied, giving Luan her attention.

"Do...you think I'm weird?"

"Weird? Why would I think that?"

"...or annoying?"

"Well…" Zanya hesitated for a moment before she answered. "...maybe a little bit, when you're laying the puns on thick, but I still find them funny."

"Hehehe...ok. Fair enough." Luan chuckled slightly, rubbing her arm a bit. "But I also need to ask….has anyone ever told you about April Fools Day at our house?"

"Actually, yes. Lana told me a little about it...or at least said I was lucky I wouldn't be around for it. Said you went a little….um.."

"Crazy? Insane? Deranged?" Luan offered glumly.

"Luan…" Zanya scolded her, frowning as she put her fists on her hips.

"It's true, Zanya. Whenever April Fools Day comes around, I become a pranking force of nature. No one is spared and all bets are off." She admitted, looking at the floor of the carriage.

"It can't have been that bad…"

"I tricked Lincoln into coming out of his fortified room one year by inviting his 'best friend' Ronnie Anne over, which led him to trigger every trap I set in the house...some of which including used diapers, live raccoons and embarrassing footage of him…"

"...yikes." Zanya was nearly left speechless by the joker's confession.

"And that was just one year...every year, I feel I have to top myself...my pranks became ever more elaborate...and in some cases, dangerous." Luan continued, sighing as she shook her head. "I feel like...like I become a monster…"

"...have you ever had the urge to eat beetles during this time?" Zanya asked, holding her chin with her forefinger and thumb..

"Zanya, I was being serious!" Luan snapped, glaring at her.

"So was I...but judging by your reaction, I'd say that theory is out the window." Luan's indignation gave way to bewilderment at Zanya's reponse. "Don't worry about it. Have you told your sisters about this?"

"Are you kidding? They'd think I was joking or lulling them into a false sense of security. I considered talking to Lincoln...he's the kinda guy you can confide in, ya know? But he won't be back for months and I can't seem to catch him at the right time to call him."

"Why not your parents? I'm sure they would take your seriously if you let them know how you feel."

"Maybe...but could they help me? I mean, I keep saying I would stop, or at least ease up...but instead, I go even further over the top...I can't help myself…" Tears were starting to fill Luan's eyes, her voice cracking a bit. The Grimwood girl's heart ached for her as she moved over to her and gave her a small hug.

"I can't say for certain if your parents can or cannot help...but you won't know until you talk to them." Zanya said, looking the brace wearing comedian in the tear filled eyes. "At very least, it should make you feel better to get it off your chest."

"..You think so?"

"I'm pretty sure, yes." The zombie child nodded.

"...maybe you're right. Thanks, Zanya." Luan said, her smile slowly returning. The two of them shared another hug before a nagging curiousity got the better of her. "What exactly did you mean about that beetle eating bit?"

"Well, if you really want to know...there's this ghost I've read about known for his impractical jokes…"

* * *

A few minutes later, the ride came to a stop to let Luan and Zanya off, with Luan looking a little green in the face. It wasn't the ride that made her sick, but what Zanya had described to her. While they confirmed it wasn't possible, it still unnerved her. "I wish I never asked…."

"Sorry about that, Luan." Her friend from Grimwood said with a giggle. "So, where should we go next?"

"You can try one of the rides if you like, while I try and get my stomach to calm down…" The sickly practical joker said as the two of them started to pass through the dense crowd. It wasn't as easy as before, as there were even more people that before. They ended up getting seperated from one another as travel through the park became all the more difficult.

"Luan! Hold up!" The zombie girl called out, but the comical Loud couldn't hear her. The ever moving mass spread them every further apart, with Zanya attempting to get away from the crowd and get around them. However, in her attempt, she ended up getting shoved by a rude park patron and falling forward into an old phone booth. The impact of her hitting the back of the booth caused the door to snap shut behind her. "Ouch...people are so pushy here…" She groaned, rubbing her cheek where she had hit the glass wall of the booth. She turned around and quickly realized where she was. She felt a sharp stab of fear in her heart. She hated being in tightly confined places like this booth, especially if they were dark. Fortunately for her, the obsolete communication kiosk was mostly glass and filled with sunlight. "Ok...just need to leave…." She told herself as she tried to open the door. However, the old booth's only entrance and exit was jammed. "No…" She pulls harder on the door handle, causing it to snap off in her hand. "No." Her panic grew as she looked at the broken door handle in her hand. She was sweating a little and breathing heavily. "No!" She screamed as she slammed her fists against the portal out with all her strength. Not only did the glass on the door shatter, but it snapped off all of it's hinges. The noise was enough to startle people nearby and caused them to scatter as the contorted metal remains of the door fell to the pavement. Zanya hastily left the booth, breathing like she had been suffocating moments earlier. "S….sorry." She gasped as she tried to calm from her agitated state

"Zanya!? Zanya!? OH, there you are." Luan ran over to her, looking quite worried herself. "Are you alright? What happened here?" She took her undead friend by the hand and quickly started to escort her away from the gawking crowd.

"I got trapped in that box...and kinda had a panic attack.." She admitted as her nerves were slightly soothed.

"Claustrophobic, huh?" Luan asked, a thought suddenly coming to her. "Wait...you've stayed in Lincoln's room just fine."

"It's only really small, dark places...like a coffin…" Zanya explained, shuddering a bit at the thought. "...or a locker…there were mean kids who used to lock me my locker back in my kindergarten days...before I became what I am today. One time, I ended up stuck in one of them overnight, because they stuffed a scarf into my mouth to keep me from yelling for help..."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that…" Luan said sympathetically, holding the shaken young girl close in an attempt to help calm her. They decided to forgo any more rides for now, and instead get her some fresh nachos to eat. That helped her calm down significantly. With only a short time before Luna's performance, the two opted to visit the rock & roll Loud backstage. She was tuning her signature ax and planning the show with Chunk when she spotted her sister and their guest approaching her.

"'Ey there, luvs." Luna greeted them with a smile, Chunk hurrying away to give the instructions to the effects guys. "Yer a bit early."

"Yeah, but we thought we wouldn't have time to take in another ride before the show." Luan told her, which was kind of the truth. "Hey, Zan, how about you hang with Luna while I go see about our seats?"

"Sure, if Luna is cool with it."

"Cool by me." Luna replied, her joking sister nodding and running off. She plays a couple practice chords on her guitar, pleased with how they sounded.

"You're really good on guitar, Luna." Zanya commented, having heard Luna practicing a lot back at the Loud House.

"Cheers, Zanya."

"When did you start playing?"

"A couple years back, after hearing my first McSwagger concert." Luna explained, looking up at the amphitheater ceiling as she recalled the memory. "It was a magic night, and it set me down the path of music stardom."

"Wow. It must be nice to find your calling so early." Zanya said, a slightly glum hint to her tone.

"Something eating you, luv?" The third eldest Loud sister asked, tilting her head.

"Just...I have no idea where I'm going to end up going in life...or unlife, as the case may be."

"So? Yer still young, Zanya. You have plenty of time to figure out what you wanna do. I mean, look at Lincoln. He isn't sure where he's going yet either, but he doesn't let that slow him down. He's still enjoying his time as a kid, while still trying to find what he's really good at...which may be magic if what we're hearing is true." She looked over at Zanya and noticed she was still looking kinda down. "Besides, just because someone's really good at something doesn't mean that's what they'll be doing in life. If you'll believe it, there was a time I questioned whether rock was my calling or not."

"Really?" The Grimwood ghoul asked in surprise.

"Right hand to Van Halen, I really wondered if I was cut out for music. I even started pursuing other options, and found I was really good with computers too. I came to my senses and returned to hard rock in the end, but it's nice to have a backup. I mean, I admit music isn't the most secure occupations. My point being, it's too early for you to be so worried about where you're going in your adult life." She placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a warm, reassuring smile. "There is time enough for that later, luv. Enjoy your childhood while it lasts."

"Maybe you're right...still, it would be nice to have some idea." Zanya said, returning a small smile. "Though I do know for certain I don't plan to follow in my parent's footsteps. I love them, but science isn't my thing and being a detective seems way too dangerous...even for someone who is already dead."

"Heh. True, it is nice to find some kind of hint, but it will come in due time." Luna told her, just as a stagehand signalled to Luna it was time. "uh oh. Looks like it's showtime. See you in the audience, luv."

"Rock on, Luna. And thanks for the talk."

"Anytime, Zanya." She grinned and waved to her as Zanya hurried out of the backstage area to join Luan in the front row. She was just in time for Luna's first tune, which she played with blazing passion: the way she played every song.

* * *

It was early evening when Luna, Luan and Zanya returned home, all three in high spirits. And their timing couldn't be better; Lynn Sr was making his famous succotash that evening and it was only a couple minutes away. The zombie girl hurried upstairs to her room to change into something more comfortable and found Lana sitting on her sleeping bag, looking utterly depressed as she pet Cliff, who laid beside her. "Lana? Are you alright?"

"Hmmm? Oh...hey, Zanya. Yeah, I guess so…" She replied, trying and failing to cover her sad tone.

"That look and tone doesn't say you're alright." The ghoul gal knelt down in front of Lana, trying to look her in the eyes. "Is something bothering you, Lana? Or someone?" The young tomboy doesn't answer her, or look her in the eye. However, having had her for a roommate for the last few weeks, she had a pretty good idea what the problem was. "...it's Lola, isn't it?" Lana suddenly looked up, which gave the undead young lady the idea she was on the right track. "You miss her, don't you?"

"No…" She denied, way too quickly. Zanya crossed her arms in front of her, giving Lana a fairly hard look. The tool savvy twin looked away from her, which was all she needed to see.

"Why don't you talk to her?" She suggested, gently turning Lana's head to look at her.

"You don't know Lola like I do. She's stubborn as a mule...besides, Lola won't talk to anyone...least of all me."

"Hmmmm. Then perhaps I should try talking to her." Zanya offered, remembering what Great Grandmother Harriet had said the previous afternoon.

"Er….I don't think that's a very good idea…" A concerned Lana said, as she knew how Lola felt about Zanya.

"Trust me, my friend." The zombie girl said with a smile, patting her on the shoulder. "I get the feeling this could really help." She rose from her kneel and walked right out the door, headed for Lola's room.

* * *

Lola was laying on her back on her bed, staring up at the canopy over her bed. She hasn't said much over the last few days to anyone, least of all her twin. It wasn't because she was upset or angry; far from it. The problem was she was internally torn and she felt this was a problem she had to figure out herself. A part of her still wanted nothing to do with Zanya, but another, growing part of her was starting to really sympathize with her. Between her tragic story, her problems at school thanks to the principal, and what happened at the mall, a lot of terrible things seemed to happen to her either for no reason or reasons that were no fault of her own. That wasn't fair at all in her mind, nor was her initial campaign to have her kicked out. And what's worse, it caused a rift between herself and her beloved twin. But what can she do about it now? The obvious answer would be to talk to them, but her stubbornness prevented her. Fortunately for her, fate was willing to intervene. A knocking could be heard from her closed door. "...yes?" She asked in a borderline lifeless tone.

"Lola? It's Zanya." The pageant princess sat up suddenly on her bed. This was the last thing she expected.

"W...what do you want?" She asked with a befuddled tone.

"I wanted to talk to you." The zombie girl responded. "May I come in?" Lola's first reaction would have been to tell her to go away. However, she thought better of it and stopped herself.

"Alright…" She answered after a moment's hesitation. The ghoul gal opened the door and looked inside the room. This was her first time actually inside Lana and Lola's room, since Lana moved in with her and Lola wouldn't have let her in before.

"Cute plushies." She commented with a smile when she saw Lola's collection of stuffed animals.

"Thanks…" The beauty obsessed twin slowly moved herself to the edge of the bed. "What did you want to talk about?"

"A few things. First, your family has been getting pretty worried about you." Zanya explained, walking over to her and kneeling in front of her. "You haven't spoken to anyone in days."

"I've had a lot on my mind…"

"And second, about Lana." Lola felt her heart drop as soon as he twin's name was mentioned. "She really misses you, Lola…"

"She does!?" This came as a shock to her. Her twin sister really missed her after that big fight they had? "She said that…?"

"Not outright, no. But I can tell." Zanya told her. "Just like I can tell you miss her too. I know you two had quite a quarrel…"

"We did...and...it was my fault…" She said, her eyes starting to tear up. The Grimwood girl opened her mouth to protest, only to be cut off by Lola. "Don't tell me it wasn't! It was my fault!" She snapped. "All because I thought you were a germ riddled, disgusting monster!" Zanya's mouth hung open as Lola spat her confession out, rendered utterly speechless as Lola started crying. Through her sobs, she managed to continue. "I thought because you were a zombie, you were unclean...I even tried to get the others to kick you out of the house...I….I'm sorry…." The young lady slowly looked up at the living dead girl before her. Her stunned face was difficult to read. Internally, she was rapidly going through an array of emotions: shock at what she had just heard, hurt and anger that Lola could think so poorly of her and even tried to turn the family against her, but sympathy and understanding at the same time. "...I'd understand if you'd never wanted to speak to me…"

"...I'm not going to lie to you, Lola…" Zanya started, a frown appearing on her face. "...Knowing you actively tried to get rid of me...hurts me deeply…" The gown wearing twin flinched as she heard this. "...but I need to know one thing: What do you think now?"

"I think I was being stupid…" Lola admitted. "You never did anything to me. Mom even said so. And Lisa proved you weren't germ riddled...but I couldn't see past the fact you were a zombie...and that was a stupid thing to do."

"Mm Hmm. And what made you change your mind?" Zanya asked in a calm tone, the frown still on her face.

"...when I overheard you telling the others how you became a zombie...it wasn't fair...you didn't deserve to have that happen to you. And when I thought about that, I realized you didn't deserve a lot of things that happened to you. The way I treated you, the principal being just as stupid as I was, and most recently, those gorillas from Hazeltuckey robbing you...None of it was right, none of it was fair…" Lola said sadly, unable to look her in the eyes. "I don't expect to be forgiven, but…"

"Lola...the fact that you came to that conclusion on your own, without any prompting from others, says a lot about you." Zanya said to her, throwing the third youngest Loud into confusion. "You were acting ignorantly, yes, but you are showing regret for your actions and a desire to make up for your mistake." A smile started to return to Zanya's face.

"...you're not mad at me?" Lola asked, as she found this hard to believe.

"I am still kinda hurt, but like I told Girl Jordan, I don't hold a grudge. I forgive you, Lola." The zombie girl held a hand out to shake the young girl's hand. Lola just slowly looked up at her, then, in a surprise move, threw her arms around Zanya's midsection, hugging her tight.

"T….thank you...Zanya." Lola nearly sobbed, fighting back happier tears. This was the first time she had ever used the Grimwood girl's name (though Zanya herself was unaware of this). The ghoul gal blinked a bit in surprise, but gladly returned the hug.

"You're very welcome." She responded, patting Lola on the back. "Feeling better now?" The pageant fanatic nodded as the two seperated. "Good, because I think there's someone else who wants to speak with you." Zanya looked back toward the door, where Lana had been peering around the doorframe a few seconds before. When they looked, she swiftly ducked out of sight, but then stepped into view. She looks toward the floor, rubbing her left arm awkwardly. When Lola saw her, she had a hard time looking at her, her feet fidgeting a bit. A tense silence filled the room for several seconds, then the twins' eyes met...and the two ran to each other in a big embrace.

"Lana, I'm sorry!" Lola cried once more, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I really missed you, sis!" Lana exclaimed as she bawled.

"I missed you too...Are we good, Lana?"

"Yeah. We're good now, Lo." The tomboy twin replied, smiling as she hugged her twin tighter. Lola's bright smile quickly returned, the two of them hopping and twirling around with joy. Zanya couldn't help but giggle, it was so cute.


	11. Chapter 11: Lincoln Loud Must Go!

Lincoln Loud Must Go!

Colonel Calloway sighed as his head rested on hands, looking down at a pile of papers on his desk in his office. He looked a combination of distressed and hopeless. The papers in front of him were a memo. A memo informing him that he could expect an inspector from the department of the army at his military school soon. The government was planning to build a new military academy, but to do so, they need to close a couple, and his is one of the top choices. He had no idea why. He felt he did a good job training and teaching these cadets, whether they were sent for disciplinary reasons or came voluntarily. He followed protocol. He followed military tradition. So why his school? And how was he going to tell the boys? He rose from his seat, turning around to look out the large double window facing the school grounds. The cadets were all huddled together, discussing strategy for next week's volleyball game (though the Colonel had no way of knowing this). However, not all the boys were paying attention. Simon was outright ignoring Jamal as he went over team composition to counter certain combinations of Grimwood Girls, and Tug looked distracted and angry. He had seen Lincoln and Sibella on the roof the previous night, and he was none too happy with how close they were getting. "...Tug? Tug!?" Jamal yelled, getting the attention of their leader.

"Huh? Wha…? You say something Jamal?" He asked as he was snapped out of his angry musings.

"What's the matter, man?" Miguel asked. "You've never been this out of sorts before."

"I've just had other things on my mind…" Tug admitted.

"Sibella?" Baxter asked, his arms crossed in front of him.

"What!? No! Not at all!" He snapped defensively. His fellow cadets just looked at him, clearly not believing him. "...ok, maybe she was on my mind. So what!?"

"Tug, we know you like her, but we need you on top of your game here." Grunt said with a frown.

"Number one, I do not like her…"

"Then it won't bother you to know that she seems to have her eyes on that weenie, Lincoln." Simon said with a sneer, which vanished at the death glare his squad leader was giving him.

"Just admit it." Jamal said, putting his clipboard under his arm. "You do like Sibella."

"It's so obvious.." Mel deadpanned.

"Why don't you just tell her?" Baxter asked, not waiting for Tug's latest denial.

"...let's say for a moment you're right...what makes you think I could just walk up to a girl like her and say 'I like you'. It doesn't work that way."

"Why not?" The youngest cadet inquired with a raised eyebrow. Tug opened his mouth, but no answer came out for several seconds.

"It just doesn't…" He finally replied lamely.

"I don't think Lincoln is having any-" Grunt started to say.

"The next person to mention that white haired little troublemaker is going to be very sorry…" Tug warned them, barely able to contain his anger at this point. The cadets backed away in fear, except for Jamal (who knew his friend better) and Mel (who seemed to be utterly devoid of emotions).

"Tug…" Baxter suddenly said.

"WHAT!?"

""C..Colonel Calloway…" Tug's eyes widen as he turned to see the sullen commanding officer approaching them.

"Atten-"

"At ease, cadets…." Colonel Calloway interrupted them in a dreary voice, surprising the assembled boys. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you all."

"What is it, Colonel?" Jamal asked, becoming deeply concerned.

"It's...very likely that the Calloway Military School...is going to be shut down." The colonel said bluntly, thinking the boys could take the cold, hard truth.

"What!?" Six out of seven boys exclaimed in shock, the odd one out being Simon.

"But why, Colonel!?" Tug asked, utterly gobsmacked.

"They're planning to build a new, larger military academy…" The colonel started to explain. "...and to open a large school, a few smaller schools need to be shut down...and we unfortunately are in the crosshairs...now, it's not a guaranteed thing." He added, trying to reassure his students. "An inspector will be stopping by in a few weeks. It will be his decision, ultimately, that will determine whether we close or not."

"I wouldn't worry, Colonel." Tug said, in an effort to help their headmaster feel better about the situation. "You run a tight ship here."

"Affirmative." Miguel agreed. "Calloway's here to stay." The stern military director of the school couldn't help but be touched by their vote of confidence, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face.

"Thank you, cadets." He said. "I hope I wasn't disturbing something important…"

"We were simply discussing our strategies for our next volleyball game." Jamal explained, showing him their plans.

"Good work, cadets. Carry on, but meet me out on the fields by 1000 for our daily drills."

"Yes sir!" The boys responded together as the Colonel departed.

"Dudes, that's some heavy stuff…" Grunt said quietly as Colonel Calloway went out of earshot.

"This place is far from what I'd call great…" Baxter admitted. "...but it's like another home to me."

"Plus they might send us all to different schools…" Tug added solemnly.

"What a sad prospect…" Mel said, in a tone that suggested anything but sadness.

"Look at the bright side, guys." Simon commented as he lazed around. "They might send us all home instead. And we wouldn't have to deal with Colonel stick in the mud anymore, or the Grimwood Girls." Jamal glared at Simon for his insensitive words, while Baxter, Miquel, Grunt and especially Tug all seemed even more saddened by this prospect. The girls may be their athletic rivals, but they also saw them as their friends, and to be forced to leave them was more than they could take. More so for their blonde haired leader, who couldn't imagine leaving Sibella behind….with Lincoln Loud.

"Actually, look on this bright side." Mel interjected in a monotone. "It's like you said, the Colonel does a good job here. There's no way they'll shut us down."

"You know, he's right." Baxter said, a smile returning to his face. "And you were right, Tug."

"Affirmative." Jamal agreed. "And if we make sure things go smoothly when the inspector is around, we can cinch it."

"Right!" All the cadets apart from Simon all exclaimed as they all shared a high five. The odd weasel out, however, had a crafty, calculating look.

"Hey, Tug. A moment of your time." He whispered, pulling Tug away from the other cadets for a private chat. "Now look, we can be as optimistic and upbeat about this as we like, but we don't have any guarantees, do we?" He asked the squad leader quietly.

"...why do you ask?" Tug asked suspiciously.

"Well, I was thinking if, even if all goes well, they still might close the school and ship us out. And if they do, you'll lose all chances to get together with that vampire girl..especially if you know who is around." Simon grinned as he knew he was touching a nerve with the blonde boy. "That is...if he were still around."

"What are you implying…?"

"Let me put it this way...what if this Loud kid were to...suddenly break a whole lot of rules at Grimwood's? Maybe enough to, say…"

"Lose favor with Sibella?" Tug asked hopefully.

"I was going to say get expelled, but that could happen too." Simon answered with a malicious grin. "Think around it, partner. Yeah, you may end up further from little miss Dracula, but Lincoln's name will be mud in her eyes. How does that sound?"

"...Are you saying you can do it?" Tug inquired in a serious tone, to which the fiendish young man nodded. "...then make it happen." He added quietly. "Oh, and one more thing…" He continued at a higher volume and a more angry tone, grabbing Simon by the collar. "...one more negative word out of you and I will use your head to clean the latrines!" Tug threatened him furiously, catching Simon off guard. However, the weasely cadet knew not to take him seriously. He was saying it to keep up appearances with the others and keep them from getting suspicious. But now he needed to plan some skullduggery over at Grimwood's finishing school. He wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do, but he had only one goal in mind: Lincoln Loud must go!

* * *

The rest of the day went as it usually did at Calloway's: with lots of exercise, discipline and studying. To most, it would be pretty intense, but the original five were used to it and Mel was able to tough through it with ease. Simon, however, couldn't keep up at all; not that he cared. He had his own plans there at Calloways, and right now, he was waiting for nightfall to put one of them into action. When the moon rose high in the sky and lights out had been declared, the sneakiest of the boys started making his move. He moved stealthily through the academy, swiping a few things he'd need; a mop to make a wig to look like Lincoln's hair, the shredded remains of one of Colonel Calloway's orange ties, a piece of fence somewhat shaped like his chipped tooth, and a flashlight. To him, that was the easy part. The hard part now would be infiltrating the school next door. He had heard about increased security measures, however he had faith in his abilities. He crept, cat burglar style, across the grounds over to the manor house to the nearest window. Unfortunately for him, that first window was locked. So was the next window, and the next. However, he hit a stroke of luck with the fourth window, able to jimmy it open and climb into the kitchen.

"Perfect." He muttered quietly. "I can start here and get a quick snack at the same time." He opened the fridge and spotted a beautiful new pie sitting front and center, topped with either whipped cream or meringue, he couldn't tell. He smirked and took a huge, sloppy bite out of it, getting creamy pie filling and topping everywhere. It tasted great, but he couldn't place the flavor, nor the crunchy bits within it. Maybe they were some kind of nuts? Doesn't matter, he thought, taking out the fence piece and using it to make an indent like Lincoln's front teeth in the pie. He then scooped a glob of pie with his hand and threw it against the wall with a splat. Feeling artistic in his vandalism, he started to smear the mess all over the kitchen before signing Lincoln's name in topping. He had never seen his handwriting before, so his attempt was pretty messy, so he had to hope no one would notice.

Kitchen chaos accomplished, he slunk out of the room, making hand prints as he went. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he didn't really need to. The idea here was to make a mess of things and pin the crimes on Lincoln. He needed to be quiet, though, since he didn't want to wake anyone yet, so tempted as he was to smash vases as he went, he needed to resist that temptation. His path of befoulment led him to the school library, where he proceeded to tear pages from any book he could reach, wiping his filthy hands on the sheets of torn paper and placing a few pieces of orange cloth around for good measure. After making sure the coast was clear, he moved like a shadow back into the hall, tearing apart some dead plants as he went and using a few strands of his wig to incriminate his victim. He figured he would go look for Lincoln's room and mess him up a little to make it look more convincing when he had to pause beside a door where he heard running water. It sounded like someone was taking a shower, but this late? It didn't matter to him, a grin appearing on his face as he carefully opened the door for a look inside. Between the steam and the shower curtain, he could only see the shadow of the occupant, but he could imagine only one of the ghoul girl's had a figure like that. He figured he could wait a little bit for her to come out, but he figured wrong as the barrel of a raygun was shoved into his cheek. His eyes shifted over to see an angry Milly holding him at gunpoint. "I knew you were no good, earthling…" Simon frowned and forcefully shoved the little martian away, causing her weapon to discharge into the ceiling. The sound was enough to make Sibella scream from inside the bathroom. The jig was up. Simon bolted down the hall, laser blasts following him as he fled "Get back here, Loud!" She screamed, firing wildly in her anger.

"Milly, what's with the noise?" Elsa asked, rubbing her eyes as she walked over in her nightgown.

"Yeah, some of us are trying to sleep." Gosuki complained as she clomped her way down the hall.

"I just caught that miserable earthling Loud snooping on Sibella!" Milly shouted, furious that her quarry escaped.

"Lincoln? Are you sure, Milly?" Sibella asked emerging from the bathroom in a maroon robe and a towel wrapped around her hair.

"Positive. The white hair gave him away."

"What's going on out here…?" Lincoln inquired, looking pretty tired himself as he approached the group. He woke up pretty quick when Milly took a shot at him, forcing him to duck behind a suit of armor. "Wah! What was that for!?"

"Don't play innocent, Loud! I caught you red handed." The alien child declared.

"What are you talking about!?"

"I found you right here, spying on Sibella in the shower!" Lincoln's face turned bright red, and even Sibella's face turned a little pink. Elsa looked over to where Lincoln was hiding, uncertain what to think, while Suki looked completely lost.

"But I never…" The flustered young man attempted to say. "...I was in my bed all night!"

"A likely story!"

"Milly, stand down." Sibella instructed firmly, pushing her weapon toward the ground. "Lincoln, come out here." The white haired lad slowly peeked out from behind the armor. M-149 wanted to take a shot at him, but Sibella was a little too strong for her, keeping the barrel of the raygun pointed at the floor. He slowly steps out and approaches the vampiress who had her steely gaze on him. "Lincoln, I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me the truth. Were you peeping on me?" His eyes met hers, a chill running down his spine as he felt the anger and disapproval in her gaze.

"Sibella, I promise you, I would never do something like that." He answered, somewhat fearfully. She continues to just look at him for a moment. She could hypnotize him to get the truth out of him, of course, but a part of her had a feeling: a feeling that Lincoln wasn't the kind of boy to invade a girl's privacy like that. A warm smile soon returned to her.

"I believe you, Lincoln." She soon said.

"Well, I don't!" Milly declared, pointing her gun at Lincoln again, her eyes narrowed.

"Hey...what's that on the end of your ray there?" Suki asked, pointing to the dripping goo on the end of the barrel.

"Huh? Curse you, you sullied my weapon as well!?"

"Hang on a second, Milly…" Elsa caught a bit of the glop on the end of her finger, sniffing it for a second before putting it into her mouth. "Mmmm. Tarantula cream pie."

"Sneaking into our dessert too, no less!?" The mini martian started to pull the trigger.

"Hold it, Milly." Sibella confiscated the angry alien's weapon this time. "Why do you think it was Lincoln who left this on your gun?"

"Because his face was covered in it!"

"Then how is his face so clean?" Elsa asked, gesturing toward her human friend. "There is no way he could have gotten so clean so quickly." Suki shifted over to Lincoln and gently licked his cheek, making him burst out chuckling.

"Nope. No tarantula nor cream." The pink reptile confirmed.

"That doesn't prove much. He could have a whole pile of cleaning wipes in his room...he looks like the neat freak type.." Milly said, crossing her arms defiantly. Sibella didn't believe it, but Elsa and Suki couldn't disprove her theory. Not that either thought Lincoln was guilty, though.

"Girls! Lincoln! Report to the library, immediately!" Came the booming voice of Miss Grimwood, and by the sound of it, she sounded upset. All the students made haste to the library, everyone in their pajamas or evening clothes except for Sibella. The floor was covered in stained pieces of paper, with a scowling Miss Grimwood and an outraged octo-butler standing among them.

"Whoa...it looks like a tornado struck here…" Winnie commented.

"Doesn't it, Winnie? Now, who do you suppose did this?" The headmistress asked in a voice of forced calm.

"It was him!" Milly accused without missing a beat, pointing to Lincoln. "I caught him earlier with the same stuff on his face while he was peeping on Sibella!" Miss Grimwood's eyes widen as her furious gaze turned to Lincoln.

"We proved it wasn't him already!" Sibella objected angrily before Lincoln could say anything in his defense. "His face was clean when we found him."

"That doesn't prove anything! And what about these orange shreds here, hmmm!?" The alien asked, grabbing one of the cloth fragments. "Just like his shirts and pajamas!"

"There's no way Lincoln did this!" Tanis spoke up, clinging to Lincoln's arm.

"I agree! Lincoln was in his room most of the night." Phantasma said.

"You're just defending him because he's your friend…" She turned to Sibella. "And your boyfriend!" Once more, the vampiress and human boy turned quite red in the face.

"ENOUGH!" Bellowed the middle aged witch, which brought all the arguing to a screeching halt. "...I want you all to listen very carefully. Someone in this house is responsible for all of this: for stealing a bite of tomorrow night's tarantula cream pie, making a mess of our kitchen and hall, completely ruining several of our books, and destroying some of the potted plants in the hall, as well as peeping if Miss 149 is to be believed...I am willing to be lenient to the culprit if they come forward right here, right now. If, however, no one confesses...then I intend to punish everyone." All of the girls gasped at this threat, but Lincoln seemed more focused on the mess on the floor and the scrap of material in Milly's hand. "I will give you to the count of…" The head mistress was interrupted with Lincoln raising his hand.

"Lincoln, no.." Sibella said quietly.

"You didn't do it...don't take the fall.." Tanis pleaded.

"I'm not." Lincoln said flatly. "But, if Miss Grimwood would permit me, I think I can help figure out who the true culprit is." Milly rolled her eyes as she glared at Lincoln. Miss Grimwood, on the other hand, looked at him in a calculating manner.

"Very well, Mr Loud. You've been rather quiet and patient so far...I think we can take a moment to hear you out, but something better come of this."

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood. I promise, it shouldn't take long." Lincoln said. "Let's start with the evidence we have immediately available; the torn up books and the piece of cloth Milly found." He leans over and picks up one of the pages. "Clearly, this was committed after the pie had been bitten into." The man sized octopus nodded, pointing out at the handprints on the wall leading to the library. "But that's not the problem I have. My problem is with the cloth. Milly, may we see it?" The young alien frowned and held her evidence away from him. "I mean, can you show it to us. Hold it up for all to see?" As much as M-149 wanted to deny him, it was a more reasonable request, so she held it up where everyone can see it. "Notice how clean it is."

"An interesting point, Mr Loud. If that cloth had come from the culprit, it should be covered in tarantula pie as well, judging from the mess."

"Exactly. Also, where did it come from if not from the culprit? Phanty, could you go check my shirts in my closet, please?" He asked, knowing the ghost girl could get there the fastest.

"Go right ahead, Phantasma. I'm interested in seeing where this goes." Miss Grimwood said, which was all Phanty needed to hear before she flew up into the ceiling.

"While we wait for her, I'd like to address something else that's been bothering me...the one Milly said she saw spying on Sibella." He looked toward M-149, who was still glaring daggers at him.

"I remain convinced that it was you, earthling…"

"And why is that, Miss 149?" Miss Grimwood asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Who else has white hair, apart from Elsa?" Milly asked angrily.

"She has a point, actually." Lincoln commented, stroking his chin with his forefinger in thought.

"She does?" Sibella, Elsa, Phantasma, Tanis, Gila and Gosuki all ask, looking at Lincoln like he were crazy.

"...say what?" Milly had to ask, wondering if she heard him right. To her, he had just effectively incriminated himself.

"White hair among children my age is pretty rare." Lincoln elaborated. "I admit that, and everyone knows it."

"Mr Loud, are you insinuating that someone is attempting to frame you?" Miss Grimwood inquired.

"It's a possibility." The middle Loud answered with a nod. The girls were starting to look at Milly with piercing glares.

"What!? Wait, I never framed anyone!"

"I believe you, Milly." The one son said, shocking everyone in the room.

"You do? Why?" Winnie demanded to know. "I mean, she hasn't really made it a secret she doesn't like you…"

"Just wait a moment." He replied, looking upward. Just then, Phanty returned from above.

"I checked all your shirts. One is missing a button, but otherwise, none of them are ruined." She reported.

"Thank you, Phanty."

"What exactly does that prove, Lincoln?" Gila asked.

"I think we can safely assume that these bits of cloth were planted here, right?" There were some scattered nods from the girls, as well as Miss Grimwood. "Well, if all my shirts are fine, and you can see my pajamas are fine, then these weren't prepared within the school. Milly would have possible access to my shirts, the easiest way to fabricate this kind of -"

"If none of your clothes were destroyed, then it couldn't have been her or anyone else here?" Tanis asked.

"Precisely." Lincoln confirmed with a nod. Milly could hardly believe her auditory receptors. This earthling was actually defending her after she was so willing to accuse him? Inconceivable.

"Lincoln...while your logic sounds reasonable, I'm afraid there is a gaping hole in it." Miss Grimwood pointed out, and she sounded like she was sorry to say it. "I remember telling you that Grimwood's is well protected by spells, hexes and runes. If anyone tried to sneak in, I would know about it."

"This is true. Miss Grimwood's defenses would work on anyone who isn't a student or member of staff of Grimwood's, or…" Elsa started to say.

"...A Calloway cadet!" Sibella exclaimed suddenly.

"But why would they go through all this trouble just to frame Lincoln?" Tanis asked, deep in thought. "I always thought they got along well enough…"

"So did I…" Lincoln said, having a little trouble wrapping his head around this. To his knowledge, he hadn't done anything to irk their ire, so why would one of the cadets want to do this? What was their motive? Before anyone could say anything further, a scream could be heard from elsewhere in the school. Winnie and Phantasma both ran off to investigate, closely followed by everyone else. When they arrive, they find an angry, red Matches standing by the smoldering remains of a mop head. The little dragon turned, growling as Winnie and Phanty arrived on the scene.

"Matches? What happened here?" Winnie asked, looking at the furious fire breather with concern. He started to mumble and babble as he tried to explain himself, but froze in place when he saw the others arrive; particularly Lincoln. He looked to the human boy, then down the hall, then back to him, a perplexed look on his face.

"Matches, did you see someone come by here, dear?" Miss Grimwood asked, stepping forward and stroking his back to calm the baffled reptile. He nodded, pointing at Lincoln. "Lincoln? But that's just not possible…"

"He's been with us the whole time…" Sibella added.

"Look at this." Winnie picked up the mostly charred mop head. The unburned bits appear to have been combed, looking somewhat like hair. "You seriously thought this was Lincoln's hair, Milly?"

"...it was dark…." Milly mumbled as an excuse, her cheeks turning red.

"...it appears we do have ourselves an intruder...trying to impersonate Lincoln no less." The mystical headmistress said quietly, a frown returning to her face. Even if it was possibly a Calloway Cadet, this was a serious thing. "Girls, Lincoln, return to your rooms and lock the doors. Tanis, join one of the others. It's too far to your room." She instructed, Tanis immediately running to Lincoln's side. "Matches, lead the way. Find the intruder." The little dragon nodded, running down the hall with Miss Grimwood right behind him. The girls all moved as one back toward their rooms: Milly first, then Elsa, Gila, Gosuki, and Phantasma. As Lincoln opened the door and let Tanis in, Sibella placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Lincoln...I just want to say I'm sorry I even considered that you may have been a peeping tom." She apologized quietly.

"Don't worry about it, Sibella." He replied softly.

"I should have known you were too sweet for that." She added, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek before she turned into a bat and flew off for her room. Lincoln's blush returned in full force as Tanis giggled at which she witnessed. Matches followed the scent trail of the intruder, with Miss Grimwood right on his tail. Unfortunately, they ended up losing the trail of the intruder outside past the old crab apple trees. They both searched the grounds, but couldn't find a thing. On one hand, she was relieved that her girls and Lincoln were safe. On the other hand, the intruder managed to get into the school so easily, without even triggering her protective spells. It seemed she needed to take more serious measures to protect her school and students.

* * *

Back at the Calloway Cadets' barracks, Tug was laying awake on his bunk, eagerly awaiting the return of Simon. He had helped him get out while the others slept and was ready to help him get back in. He didn't have to wait too much longer, for he heard a tapping at the window nearest his bed. He slipped out of bed and tip toed over to the window. To his surprise, he found Simon somewhat shaken, face all a mess and his hair kind of singed. "Dude...what happened to you?" He asked in a hushed voice as he helped him in.

"Had a run in with that dang dragon…" He muttered back.

"Did anyone else see you?"

"The martian. But she thought I was Lincoln."

"Good good. So, what did you do?" Tug asked, smirking a bit.

"Well, I had some pie and used it to mess up the kitchen and hallway walls…" He started to explain, sitting on his own bunk as he wiped his face with a towel. "...then I tore apart some of their library books and left some orange cloth, like those shirts he's obsessed with…"

"A good start…"

"I then tried to find his room so I could rough him up a little, make him look more guilty, but I got a little distracted…"

"By what?" Tug frowned slightly.

"The sound of a beauty in the shower." Simon answered, grinning. His grin vanished as Tug leered furiously at him.

"Which. Beauty?" He asked, trying to keep calm and quiet.

"Elsa." He lied quickly. His blonde haired leader looked at him for a moment longer before he seemed satisfied with his answer. "It was around there the alien caught me and shot at me…"

"Hmmm. Actually, a good time to get busted. No way Miss Grimwood would take kindly to that." Tug started to grin maliciously. "What else?"

"Well, once I lost the trigger happy space girl, I tried to find new ways to cause mischief, but I got caught by the dragon. He burned my wig and I had to beat feet. I circled around the house and lost him before I came back."

"I see. That should do it, anyway. Let's get back to bed and get to sleep. With any luck, we should hear Lincoln being sent back home by tomorrow." Tug said, climbing back into his bunk for what he felt was a good night's sleep. What he didn't know was that he and his accomplice had been overheard. Baxter may have had his eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep. He was, however, quite upset at what he had heard and more than a little disappointed in the boy who was supposed to be their leader.

* * *

Early the next morning, Colonel Calloway awoke to a firm knocking at the door to his quarters. He threw on his maroon robe, grumbling as he went to answer the door. "Reveille hasn't even sounded yet…" When he opened the door, he nearly sprang into attention when he saw the frowning Miss Grimwood standing there. "M...MIss Grimwood!? What a surprise...P..Please, do come on." He stammered, stepping aside to let the middle aged woman in.

"Thank you, Colonel, but I'm afraid I am here for a serious purpose." She told him as she entered. The military director wasn't sure what to make of that, but he suspected it couldn't be good, judging by her scowl. "An intruder broke into Grimwood's last night."

"What!? Are the children alright? Are you alright?" The colonel asked in concern.

"We are all fine, Colonel Calloway. The intruder seemed set on vandalism rather than harm." This made the old colonel relax a little. "But there are many suspicious circumstances regarding this intrusion, not the least of which being how the intruder was impersonating our guest from Royal Woods, Lincoln Loud."

"That is odd…" he admitted, though he failed to see where she was going with this and why she needed to involve him.

"What's more, he tried to incriminate poor Lincoln for befouling our school, ruining one of my delicious desserts, and peeping upon one of my girls." She pulled out one of the fabric scraps from her pocket. The colonel couldn't help but feel he had seen it before.

"Positively despicable…"

"I quite concur. Fortunately, Lincoln is quite bright and was able to prove his innocence. But here's the most suspicious part, Colonel...I have protective measures set up all over my school and the grounds. If anyone were to set foot upon Grimwood property, I would know...anyone, that is, apart from Grimwood students, staff...and the staff and students from Calloway." Colonel Calloway looked positively thunderstruck at what he had heard, then incredulous in the blink of an eye.

"Miss Grimwood, are you accusing one of my cadets of breaking into your school for malicious purposes!?" He asked, his eyes narrowed and his chest puffed out in an attempt to seem more intimidating. In spite of towering over the magical headmistress, she wasn't the least bit intimidated. "I understand you are distraught over this intrusion, but to make such a claim toward one of my cadets!? And with what evidence!?" Abigail Grimwood was silent, not wishing to admit that her evidence was sparce. "That's what I thought. Now, if you'll excuse me.." He walked over to his closet, his eyes still on his educational neighbor as he opened it. "...I have to prepare for the day's drills, exercises and lessons. I trust you can see your-" His words failed him the moment he looked into his closet. Right there, on his tie rack, an orange tie was tucked in amongst his other ties. That wasn't where he left it. He reached out to take it from its place and noticed it was all torn up. His mouth hung open as he looked over at the strip of cloth Miss Grimwood was holding. She walked over to the Colonel and the two held the scrap and the tie close together. It was the exact shade of orange, as well as the same material. His look of disbelief metamorphed into one of absolute fury. "Miss Grimwood, I will handle this personally…"

* * *

When the mobile bugle blower woke up the cadets, they hastily got dressed and went outside for morning roll call. To their surprise, it was earlier than they were usually woken up. As soon as they lined up at attention, they were met with an even more unpleasant surprise: a livid Colonel Calloway. His face was red and if looks could bruise, each cadet would have been sent to the hospital with just a glance. "This morning...I was paid a visit by Miss Grimwood, cadets…" He said, in a voice that suggested he was forcing himself to keep calm as he strode back and forth in front of the line of kids. "And she told me something...interesting. Does anyone care to guess what I was told?" None of them spoke, as most didn't know what he was talking about, and the others were praying he wasn't talking about what they thought he was. "Well, let me enlighten you...someone snuck into her school last night, for a little bit of late night...hijinx, shall we say?" Tug felt his blood turn cold, while Simon looked cool as a cucumber.

"Pardon me if I am speaking out of turn, Colonel, but that's terrible…" Mel said in his usual, flat tone.

"I agree, Mel. And she has reason to believe that someone from Calloway's was responsible…"

"Permission to speak freely, Colonel…" Jamal started to say.

"Denied!" He snapped, causing the students to all jump. "And you know what...I agree with her." He whipped the ruined tie from his pocket, Simon flinching slightly when he saw it. "Do you see this tie!? Pieces of this tie were found inside of Grimwood's library, along with torn pages from her books." Tug glared at his slimy accomplice as soon as the Colonel looked away, while Simon only shrugged in return. "How could parts of MY tie end up in Miss Grimwood's library!?"

"Colonel, you sly dog…" Simon commented with a zero cares given attitude. "...going for the Grimwood cougar…"

"THIS IS NO TIME FOR JOKES, CADET!" The irate Colonel screamed in the disrespectful Simon's face. His fellow cadets were praying he would just shut up before their superior officer destroyed them utterly. "Someone from THIS ACADEMY is suspected of breaking into Grimwood's, messing up her kitchen and library, attempting to frame one of her students, and PEEPING on one of the girls! I want to know who is responsible for these shenanigans! Answer me! NOW!"

"Colonel, with all due respect, these kinds of actions are far beneath a Calloway Cadet." Jamal responded calmly.

"Affirmative." Tug agreed. "I mean, we get up to shenanigans of our own sometimes, but our shenanigans are cheeky and all in good fun. These shenanigans are malicious and mean spirited, which makes them...not shenanigans." He explained.

"ENOUGH! I swear if I hear the word shenanigans one more time, the speaker will do push ups until I get tired!"

"Hey, Mel. Do you remember what the name of restaurant the Colonel liked was?" Simon piped up, looking down the line at the emotionless cadet. "You know, with the potato skins and barbequed sirloin?"

"Shenanigans?" Mel deadpanned, not turning to look at his fellow cadet. Colonel Calloway wanted so desperately to smack Simon for that, but he restrained him. He was still a child after all.

"Alright...I am going to say this as simply as simply as possible, for Mister Wise Aleck over here...I am going to give the guilty party an opportunity to do the honorable thing and step forward. If they do, or someone who knows who the guilty party is steps forward to give names...I will only punish the one responsible. However, if no one confesses...YOU'RE ALL GOING TO GET IT!" He bellowed, making them all jump. "You have thirty seconds, starting...now!" He stood before the line of boys like Colonel Clink, his eagle eyes scanning along the line. Jamal, Grunt and Miguel's eyes were looking up and down the line, both wondering who was responsible and why they were being silent. Mel simply stood stone still, staring back at Colonel Calloway. Baxter's eyes were looking toward Simon with a sort of glare, but he said nothing. After all, Calloway cadets stuck together through thick and thin. Tug was trying to keep firm and calm, though he was sweating a little. Simon, on the other hand, looked entirely unconcerned, neither for his or his fellows' well being. After thirty seconds of silence, The headmaster of the academy decided enough was enough. "Very well. Have it your way. I hope you're all prepared for a grueling day after breakfast….oh, and Miss Grimwood has a question for the suspect." He said, a smirk starting to appear on his face, which brought a twinge of fear to the cadets. "She wants to know if you enjoyed her Tarantula Cream Pie last night." Simon's face suddenly turned green when he learned just what he had eaten, causing him to run from the line and into the nearest bush to lose his lunch. Colonel Calloway had a look of smug satisfaction on his face, as did Baxter. The other cadets, minus Mel, just stared in disbelief, Tug face palming at the sight.


	12. Chapter 12: Rivalries and Cruelty

_AN: This one is kind of a short one, half because I wasn't really sure what else I could do with the situations I presented and half because the next chapter is a big one in terms of the story and length. I pretty much just wanted to establish Ronnie Anne and Lincoln's relationship, and escalate things on Zanya's side. Sorry if it feels really rushed._

* * *

Rivalries and Cruelty

It was mid afternoon on Saturday, and that usually meant a day at the skate park for Ronnie Anne Santiago, or perhaps chilling with her friends from the city. However, today, she didn't really feel like doing much of anything. She was in the park, of course, but all she was doing was sitting on a bench, shifting her skateboard with her foot as she started at the ground. The reason for her blah state: she missed her friend, Lincoln. Yes, the two texted all the time, but she missed the video chats they used to have; seeing his face and hearing his voice. They had tried to call each other, but each time, one always missed the other. She had to admit, she wasn't entirely sure why she felt this way, or at least this strongly. A lot of people assumed they were a couple, but this just wasn't true; they were just good friends, and they agreed that it would be best if they remained just friends after she moved. She and Lincoln always had trouble convincing others of this; including and especially herself (though she never realized it). She sighed as she considered just going home when she felt her phone vibrate. She absently picked it up and glanced at it lazily. She sat right up when she saw it was Lincoln requesting a video call. She took a moment to regain her composure, then pressed the accept button. "Hey Lame-o. Long time, no chat." She greeted him casually with a soft smile.

"Hi Ronnie Anne. I'm glad I finally managed to get in touch with you. It's been too long." Lincoln said, smiling at her from his room at Grimwood's. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, you know. Same as ever." She said with a shrug. "You?"

"I'm doing great." He replied cheerfully. "Grimwood's school is a wonderful place, though it does take a little getting used to."

"I can imagine, from your texts. Real monsters? Probably both the coolest and creepiest thing ever."

"Well, a lot more cool than creepy once you get to know them. If you want, I could introduce you to them."

"If you like." Ronnie Anne said in a lackadaisical manner. Not that she didn't want to meet them, just that she didn't want her friend to feel pressured to do so. After all, she wanted this call to be just the two of them. Lincoln thought for a moment; he had no idea where all the girls would be at this time, so he wouldn't be able to introduce her to all his friends.

"Not really sure where most of them would be right now...but tell you what. I'll walk while we chat and should we run into any of them, we can stop to say hi." He said. He really wanted to introduce the Grimwood girls to her, hoping it would help improve how they feel about her.

"Sounds good." Lincoln smiled to Ronnie Anne as he climbed out of bed.

"What have you been up to lately?" He asked as he started to walk through the halls of Grimwood.

"Oh, you know. The usual. School is dull, of course. Still working on that new skateboarding trick. Almost got it down. Did get detention a few days back though. Mom was pretty ticked about that." She said, fiddling with her skateboard as she spoke.

"What happened? Did someone need a 'lesson'?" Lincoln asked in concern.

"Nah. Nothing like that. I just got caught skating inside school. But hey, it was that or end up late for class. Darned if I do, darned if I don't, you know?" She giggled softly as she shrugged.

"All too well." Lincoln admitted.

"So what about you? What have you been up to?"

"A few things. I've been learning more about monster history and how it influences human history, been practicing for the big volleyball game…"

"Oh yeah. Lori invited me and Bobby to come watch the game. Are you going to be playing?"

"I...doubt it." Lincoln said, rubbing the back of his head a bit as he blushed. "I mean, I'll be there if they need me, but I don't think they will."

"Ok. Number one, no more talking like that out of you." Came the voice of Phantasma off screen, the ghost girl soon appearing just to the right so she could look at Lincoln. "You'll get your chance to play in the big game, and you'll be great." She told him with a smile. "And number two, who are you talking to?"

"I was just talking to my best friend, Ronnie Anne." Lincoln explained, pointing to his phone screen. Phanty turned her head to look into the screen. "Ronnie Anne, allow me to introduce Phantasma."

"Hey there." Ronnie Anne said with a small smile, which faded when the spirit didn't reply. Instead, she seemed to be sticking her head closer to the camera, or perhaps the screen. What happened next nearly made the city girl scream and drop her phone. Phanty's head suddenly stuck out of her phone screen, then her torso. She stopped about there, looking to Lincoln's friend and smiling.

"Hi!" She said in a bubbly manner, waving to Ronnie Anne.

"Er….a little warning before you do something like that, Phantasma…that would be appreciated." The latina said, slightly shaken up by the experience, plus getting a little nervous at the stares she was getting from passerbys.

"Sorry, but I think greetings are best in person." Phanty said while giggling. She was suddenly sucked back through the phone, Lincoln having hold of one of her ankles.

"Phanty, we talked about that…" Lincoln said sternly.

"I know. I know. Last time. Promise." She floated in attention and held up two fingers in a sort of salute. "Ghoul scouts honor."

"It's ok, La-Lincoln." Ronnie Anne said, correcting herself before she could call him the nickname she picked for him. The last thing she needed was to give the wrong idea to a girl who could go right through the phone to get at her. "No harm done here."

"Well, if you say so, Ronnie Anne." Lincoln said, a smile returning to his face as he looked back at Phantasma. "All's good, Phanty."

"Awwww. Thanks Ronnie! And thanks Lincoln." She leans over and gave him a big kiss on the cheek before she floated off. Lincoln's cheeks were bright red as he looked back at the phone screen to see Ronnie Anne giving at him a 'what was that about?' look with a smirk.

"Er….Phanty is pretty...uh...spirited, no pun intended."

"Affectionate too." Ronnie replied with a snicker after Lincoln blushed even more. And just when she thought he couldn't get more red in the face…

"Hey Linc...wanna explain to me why Phanty's butt was sticking out of your phone?" Winnie teased, making Ronnie Anne burst out laughing at the poor boy's reaction to that.

"I...uh….she...was introducing herself to Ronnie Anne." A flustered Lincoln finally stammered out. Winnie's face leaned into frame to seen the raven haired girl in stitches.

"Hi." Ronnie said after she finally stopped laughing so hard, though she was still quite giggly. "As Lincoln so helpfully pointed out, I'm Ronnie Anne."

"Name's Winnie. Winnie the werewolf. Nice to meetcha." The little lycan replied with a smile. Lincoln sighed with relief, though he had a feeling Winnie would have been more receptive of her at this point. After all, she'd given Lincoln her fair share of playful jabs at this point.

"Likewise, Winnie."

"Well, as much as I would love to stay and chat, I gotta run along. Gila and I are gonna do some sparring out in the moat. See you later Linc. See you around, RA." Winnie waved to the two of them before she ran off.

"Gila?"

"She's the daughter of the Creature from the Black Lagoon." Lincoln explained. "I don't think we'll be meeting her today. She's still kinda scared of humans."

"Really? Even you?" Lincoln nodded, which made Ronnie Anne chuckle a little. "Sorry, but the idea of someone being scared of you...it's kinda funny." She said after she saw him frown. Lincoln just huffed sourly as he continued along. "Oh, don't be like that, Lame-o. Say, have you learn any new spells lately?" She asked, knowing that would brighten him right up.

"Yeah, I have. I'm still working on a more advanced version of the animal conversing spell, letting me talk to rodents, cats and bats. I have, however, just about mastered small object creation, conjuring wind, minor levitation, creating and dimming lights, and protection from fire."

"Protection from fire? You think someone's gonna burn you at the stake someday?" Ronnie Anne joked.

"I'm more concerned with 'flame wars' these days." He quipped right back, the two of them laughing softly. "But in all seriousness, it's a practical spell."

"I know. I know." Ronnie said. "Heh. Still have a little trouble getting over it. Lincoln Loud, the warlock."

"I know, right? Never did I imagine that I could even use magic, much less be good at it." He replied. "But then, Lucy has often said that Great Grandma Harriet was a witch…"

"So what? Runs in the family?"

"Maybe. I'm still learning how that works."

"Well, it is very likely." Sibella piped up, getting Lincoln's attention, though Ronnie Anne couldn't see her. "While all beings are capable of using magic, as Miss Grimwood says, magic prowess can be passed down to one's descendants. The closer the relative, the more likely the magical potential."

"Thanks Sibella."

"Anytime, Lincoln. Sincerest apologies for butting in like that."

"It's cool." RA said.

"Oh? Who are you talking to, Lincoln?" The vampiress asked curiously. The one son smiled lightly and turned the phone to her.

"Hey. The name's Ronnie Anne." Sibella's soft smile faded as the young lady introduced herself.

"Greetings. I am Sibella. Sibella Dracula." She replied coldly, which both Ronnie Anne and Lincoln were quick to notice. "So, Lincoln tells me you're a good friend of his?"

"Yes. We're quite close." Lincoln replied, casting a warning look toward Sibella. Ronnie couldn't help by blush a little as Lincoln said that. Sibella noticed this and almost immediately mischief came to her mind.

"How lovely." The vampiress said with a smile, which seemed to satisfy Lincoln, but confused his friend from the city. "So, tell me, Ronnie Anne…" She started to say, putting arm around Lincoln and moving closer to him, his cheeks turning a slight pink. "...how did you end up meeting Lincoln?"

"We met back at Royal Woods Elementary, back when I lived down that way." She explained, a hint of irritation and jealousy as the lovely vampire got so close to Lincoln. "In fact, we lived only a couple minutes away from one another."

"I see. And you were friends the whole time?" Sibella asked, causing Lincoln to shiver a bit.

"Well, no...we didn't really start out being friends…" Ronnie Anne started to explain, but paused when she saw Lincoln trying to hint to her not to say it. However, the damage was done already. The daughter of Dracula was ready to go in for the kill, metaphorically speaking.

"Is that so? Then what were you?" She inquired, though she had an idea of what she was about to say.

"...I was...a bully to him." Ronnie Anne admitted nervously, Sibella's smirk vanishing and replaced by a glare.

"...but that's in the past!" Lincoln hastily added, slipping out of her arm and stepping in front of the vampire girl, surprising her. "Ok, yes, she did used to pick on me. So did Rusty. That was then. Now, they're some of the best friends a guy could ask for."

"You're right. I'm sorry, Lincoln." Sibella replied, her smirk returning. "I just didn't like the idea of knowing someone could pick on someone as sweet as you, because I care about you, Lincoln." She added, leaning closer to him. While she meant every word, she was also saying it because it was getting Ronnie Anne's goat; making the latina frown and turn a little red. What really made her angry as when the vampiress kissed him right on the nose, making the white haired lad blush deeply.

"He….Hey...It's Ronnie Anne you need to apologize to…" Lincoln stammered, trying not to get distracted.

"Don't worry about, Lincoln...I gotta go...Mom sent me a text saying she wants me home…" The city girl said sourly. "Smell you later…." She hung up before he could get a chance to reply.

* * *

Sibella felt a little bit satisfaction from her victory; which was rather quickly dashed from the angry look her dear human friend was giving her now.

"What was that!?" He asked indignantly.

"Pardon?"

"Why were you antagonizing Ronnie Anne like that?"

"Antagonizing? I wasn't trying to antagonize her…"

"Sibella, I could see it clear as day. You were upsetting her…." He crossed his arms in front of him. While Sibella wasn't necessarily concerned with the fact she upset Lincoln's friend, seeing Lincoln so upset with her was almost heartbreaking to her.

"Lincoln….I'm sorry...I really am. I really didn't mean to." She told him, stepping a little closer to him. "I promise, next opportunity I get, I will apologize to Ronnie Anne...ok?"

"...ok." Lincoln answered flatly.

"Now, can I get a little smile?" Sibella asked sweetly, trying to look him in the eyes. He looked away from her, still trying to maintain his grouchy appearance. "Come on~" She sang playfully as she swished around behind him, making him turn again. However, his mouth was starting to twitch. "Just a little one?" She went around in front of him this time. He just couldn't resist it and smiled to her.

"Ah, dang it. I can't stay mad at you." He admitted, giving Sibella a small hug, which she tenderly returned. "But I am seriously holding you to your promise. I'll be calling Ronnie Anne a little later in the week and, while I don't expect you to be besties (though that would be nice), I would like for you two to make peace...alright?"

"of course, Lincoln. A Dracula's word is as good as gold." She reassured him. "In fact, I will call her right now." She soon separated from the hug and sauntered off back to her room. Lincoln was pleased to hear she would at least try to make up with Ronnie Anne...though he wondered how she was going to if she never got her number…

* * *

Ronnie Anne was feeling pretty crabby as she made her way toward the home she, her mother, and brother shared with the Casagrande's. The phone conversation with Sibella made two things clear to her: One, the vampire didn't like her. And two, she was making moves on her Lincoln. She stopped in her tracks as she thought that. 'Wait...My Lincoln? Where did that come from?' She wondered, her cheeks turning red. 'I mean, Lame-o and I are just friends...always have been, always will be...right?' Still, she could tell that Sibella was trying to get really close to him: whether because she legitimately cared about him or she was trying to anger, she didn't know, nor did she know what upset her more. Her phone started to vibrate. Thinking it was probably Lincoln, she reached to answer it, though she didn't really want to hear him try and defend Sibella's actions or apologize for her. "Talk to me…" She grumbled without even looking at the number.

"Ronnie Anne…" Sibella said, surprising the raven haired firebrand.

"Ok, how did you get this number and what do you want?"

"To answer your first question, I am contacting you via my crystal ball, and that doesn't require a phone number. And to answer your second question, I wished to apologize."

"Really…?" Ronnie Anne asked skeptically.

"Yes and yes." Sibella answered. "After talking it over with Lincoln, I realized I wasn't being very fair to you. It may not sit well with me that you used to torment him, but if he is willing to forgive you and even consider you a friend, then the least I could do is give you a chance as well."

"That's rather decent of you, Sibella." Ronnie Anne replied, though it was a polite nothing.

"That said, I do have one thing I would really like to say to you…"

"That makes two of us."

"In that case, after you." Sibella offered.

"No, after you." Ronnie Anne countered. The two could see this was going to lead to a stalemate, so…. "Both of us together?"

"Very well. On three. One. Two. Three!"

"If I hear you ever hurt Lincoln….!"

"If I hear you ever hurt Lincoln again…!" The two girls say at the exact same time, both of them stopping mid sentence in surprise. A slightly awkward silence followed before Ronnie Anne finally spoke up.

"Look...Sibella. I'm going to be blunt here….I don't like you, and I doubt you really like me...right?"

"...right."

"...but we do both care about Lincoln, right?"

"Of course."

"...then perhaps we could at least keep open hostility to a minimum...for his sake?"

"...at least on that point, we can agree." Sibella replied.

"In which case, see you later…" Ronnie Anne said, thinking 'preferably a whole lot later…'

"Indeed. Good day, Ronnie Anne." Sibella replied in a civil tone as she severed the connection to her phone. The city girl had to admit that she did feel a little better after that, though she still intended to keep an eye on that vampire.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Royal Woods…

Fresh from her prank at the mall and eager to try doing some more damage to Zanya, Malora and her friends, Mitzy and Jen, had made a few attempts to repeat their previous success...or at least Malora and Mitzy were. Jen was much more hesitant, after seeing how much pain the zombie girl had be in from nearly starving. However, after what happened last time, Zanya had wised up. She didn't hide all of her snacks in her bag. She kept a few in there, some in her desk, some in her locker, and a few in her pockets. This way, she always had something to eat on hand. Seeing this only upset the bullying tv star and made her desire to hurt Zanya even more. However, the Grimwood Girl was also often seen with a crowd of her friends from school, from the Loud House, and sometimes Chandler. Opportunities to strike her while she was alone were few and very far between, and patience was not Malora's strong suite. However, an opportunity came to her shortly after Zanya finished not participating in gym class. Her pocket snacks had run out and she needed to go to grab a few more bags. Malora had spotted her while headed to the bathroom, the two of them alone in the hall. Grinning at her good fortune, she made her move. While the ghoul gal was digging in her locker, Malora crept over and shoved her inside before hastily locking her inside. "Huh!? Hey! Let me out!" Zanya screamed from within the locker, Malora kicking the handle without saying a word. It took a few tries and made quite a lot of noise, but she managed to bend the handle. Between her kicks, Zanya's cries to be released and her banging on the door, teachers in nearby classrooms were starting to take notice, forcing Malora to take refuge between two rows of lockers.

"What's going on out here!?" Coach Pacowski asked angrily, joining the crowd of teachers congregating outside the locker.

"A student is trapped inside a locker." A short, bespectacled man with frizzy orange hair replied, pointing to the locker in question.

"Please!" Zanya begged, starting to cry now she was so scared. "Please get me out! I can't breathe!"

"Alright, calm down, young lady…" The bulky coach insisted as he stepped forward to take control of the situation. "There are vents in the door...you can get plenty of air...just sit tight. I'll get you out." He reached out to simply pull the handle, but found that to be impossible. The handle was bent to the point where it couldn't open. "What the…? How did this happen…?"

"Let me out!"

"We're trying! The door can't open! We just need to get the janitor and…." Zanya couldn't wait any longer. As far as she was concerned, she was suffocating and needed to get out now. She kicked at the door as hard as she could, seriously denting it. Coach Pacowski's eyes sprang open as wide as dinner plates, diving to one side as Zanya's next kick caused the locker door to break off its hinges and slam against the lockers opposite. Teachers and students curiously peeking into the hall to see what the commotion was all about were shocked at what they just witnessed, though few were as surprised as Coach Pacowski and Malora. The coach was the first to recover, quickly going into damage control mode. "Ok, everyone. Nothing to see here. Lucky thing the hinges were so rusty on that thing…" He said, trying to calm down the gawkers and send them back to their classrooms. Luckily for him, his words seem to work, the teachers getting their curious children back into their respective classrooms. It was just as lucky for Malora; if she had been seen there, the jig would have been up. Zanya was on her knees on the floor, gasping for air, trembling with fear. "Zanya, stand up…" The coach instructed, leaving the poor zombie girl to think she was about to get in some serious trouble. However, when she did eventually rise, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Walk with me. Talk with me." The Grimwood girl was quite surprised, but started to walk along with him. Throwing caution to the wind, Malora decided to follow them, pausing a moment to look down at the door Zanya had just demolished with two kicks. Anyone else would have taken a hint and left her alone at that point. Malora, however, was nearly single minded in her desire to see Zanya suffer. "That's quite some kick you got there." Coach Pacowski commented quietly as he escorted her down the hall toward her class.

"Thanks...sorry about the door...I'm just terrified of really closed, dark places…" Zanya admitted, still very jittery.

"Hey, don't you worry about that. I'll smooth things over with Huggins later. But for now, I gotta ask...do you play soccer?" This piqued the pale girl's interests.

"I love soccer." She replied, though she started to wonder why he was suddenly being so nice to her.

"How would you like to play for Royal Woods Elementary's own soccer team?"

"Wait...seriously?" She inquired, getting more excited the more she heard.

"Seriously. With a kick like that, we could dominate the tri state area." He responded, grinning as he imagined Royal Woods bringing home the big trophy. Malora could feel her blood start to boil. Her prank actually backfired, giving that little loser a chance to be a sports star.

"But what about the principal? Zanya asked, her excitement giving way to anxiety. "He already doesn't want me playing sports in gym class because he thinks it will give away the fact I'm a zombie…"

'Wait...what did she say?' Malora wondered mentally as she tried to sneak closer for a listen.

"He said you can't play in gym class. Did he say anything about after school?" The coach reasoned with a smirk.

"Noooo…..no he didn't." Zanya replied, smirking in return.

"As for anyone else finding out you're a zombie, we can work around that...maybe paint your stitches to look like the rest of you, something around your neck to secure your head...we'll think of something. So, what do you think?" He asked as soon as they stopped in front of Miss Johnson's door.

"Sure." Zanya answered enthusiastically.

"Great." Coach Pacowski said, gently rapping on the door to explain to Zanya's teacher what had kept her. Not far away, Malora was both in shock and utterly ecstatic. 'That little porker is a zombie!? This is great! I can use that information…' She thought to herself as she slunk away back toward class.


	13. Chapter 13: The Big Game

The Big Game

The day had finally come. The day of the big volleyball game between Miss Grimwood's Finishing School and The Calloway Military School. However, the game almost didn't happen. After Simon's vandalous escapades a few weeks back, Colonel Calloway and Miss Grimwood considered cancelling the game this year. The motherly headmistress couldn't bring herself to ruin it for her girls, though, and even the stern Colonel couldn't suppress his competitive nature, so they allowed the game to go on as planned. Speaking of the Colonel, even though Simon had been busted as the true culprit, he had made very good on his threat to punish all the cadets. He ran them absolutely ragged for the next week after the incident: intense exercise, borderline back breaking labor, and hours worth of drills and marching. However, two cadets had it even worse the the others. Simon, of course, had extra kp and cleaning duties along with the rest of the punishment, and would have to keep up the punishment for much longer. The other was Tug, after Simon ratted him out upon getting caught himself. While the Colonel didn't necessarily believe the little delinquent, he also couldn't take the chance and punished Tug extra hard as well. At first, his fellow cadets sympathized with him, but after Baxter revealed what he had heard that night, each and every one of them thought their squad leader got that he deserved. That said, they were still permitted to play in the game; otherwise, they would have been at an extreme disadvantage. So, on a bright, sunny afternoon, the entirety of Grimwood's could be found on their home volleyball court; the girls and Lincoln stretching to prepare for the game, Miss Grimwood and her octo butler were making sure the field was ready for play, and Matches was pushing over a little hot dog cart. "Well, Linc, today's the big day!" Winnie said excitedly, loosening up her arm muscles. "You excited?"

"Most definitely." Lincoln replied as he launched his camera drone into the air. He then pulled out his phone and dialed up Lisa.

* * *

"Good day, big brother. I trust everything is in order on your end?" Lisa asked, smiling lightly as she was typing rapidly on her laptop. She was getting ready to begin streaming the game to their television in the living room, the Loud family all gathered on the couch and chairs like they were getting ready to watch the superbowl.

"This is gonna be so sweet!" Lynn Jr commented, hardly able to wait. "I hope Lincoln and the girls cream those cadets!"

"Especially after what they tried to do to him." Lori said with a frown.

"Yeah. The drone is launched and awaiting activation. The game won't be starting for a little while though." Lincoln's voice came over the phone.

"That's just fine. We have a few guests coming to watch the game as well." Lisa replied as a knock sounded from the door. "That must be some of them now."

"I'll get it." Rita called as she answered the door. Standing on the other side was Albert, grinning as he carried a bowl of gaucamole. "Dad!"

"Pop Pop!" The Loud sisters all cheered as them all dove in for a group hug.

"Ha ha! Hello everyone. I hope I'm not late."

"Quite the contrary, Pop Pop. The game has yet to begin." Lisa told him as she eventually broke free of the hug. Leni directed him to a recliner positioned right next to the stool Zanya was sitting on.

"Well well. And this must be the young lady you told me so much about."

"Hello, sir. I'm Zanya." She said politely, holding out a hand.

"Ah, no need to be so formal, Zanya. Call me Albert." He said, shaking her hand. "So...is what I heard true? Are you...a zombie?" He asked in a whisper. The young undead girl slowly nodded. "Well, I'll be darned." He said with a chuckle. "Never imagined a zombie could be so cute." Zanya couldn't help but giggle as he ruffled her hair before sitting down.

"Hey, Pop Pop!" Lincoln called from Lisa's phone.

"Linc? What're ya doing trapped in that little contraption?" Albert joked, laughing along with Zanya, Luan, and Lincoln. "I kid. I kid. But it's great ta hear from ya, Lincoln."

"Great to hear from you too, Pop Pop."

"Knock knock!" Rusty called from the open door, stepping inside carrying two huge bottles of soda pop. Behind him were Lincoln's other friends: Clyde, Liam, Zach, Stella and Girl Jordan, each one carrying more refreshments.

"Who's there!?" Luan answered without missing a beat.

"Rusty." He replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Rusty who?" Luan continued, waiting for a punchline.

"Rusty who!?"

"I asked you first! Hahaha!" The family jester laughed after salvaging the joke. Rusty just huffed in annoyance as he added his refreshments to the table.

"Hey guys!" Lincoln said excitedly as he heard the voices of his friends.

"Lincoln! It's been too long, buddy!" Clyde replied with a smile. "We miss you."

"All of us." Stella added.

"I miss you guys too. When I get the free time to visit, we need to get together again."

"I'll hold you to that, Lame-o." Ronnie Anne said with a smirk as she and Bobby arrived on the scene. "Whoa. I thought the Loud House was crowded before."

"Hey Babe!" Bobby called out as Lori nearly glomped him right off his feet.

"Hello Boo Boo Bear!' She replied in a dreamy manner as the two hugged.

"Hi Ronnie Anne. Hi Bobby." Lincoln greeted them with a chuckle. "Glad you could make it."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, little bro." Bobby said as he took a seat by Lori on the couch while Ronnie Anne walked over to Zanya.

"So, you're the exchange girl who switched with Lincoln?" She asked, smiling lightly as she looked her over. "Hey. I'm Ronnie Anne."

"I'm Zanya. Lincoln and the others told me a lot about you." Ronnie Anne couldn't help but blush a bit knowing Lincoln still talked about her, and quite kindly by the sound of it, to his friends. She couldn't help but notice the stitches on her shoulders and knees.

"Uh….if it's not a sensitive subject...what happened to you?"

"Can you keep a secret?" The latina slowly nods. "I'm a zombie." Ronnie Anne blinked a bit, but then realized she shouldn't be surprised. Lincoln told her that Grimwood's used to be only for monster girls, so the exchange girl being a zombie shouldn't be a shock.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to get imagery." Lisa reported, pressing one final key. The moment she did, an aerial view of the field appeared, showing everyone getting ready for the game. Everyone except for the Calloway Cadets. The little genius plays around with the camera, moving the camera in close to each of the girls in turn and Lincoln as he set the drone to auto hover.

"Wow. Sure are a lot of charming young ladies there." Rusty commented, once more feeling the green eyed monster nipping at him. "Lucky dog…" Ronnie Anne just glared at the pimply red head for a moment, jealousy snapping at her as well knowing Lincoln was surrounded by so many beautiful and cute girls.

"Wait a minute...is that…?" Albert asked, leaning in closer as he saw Miss Grimwood. "...it is! Abigail Grimwood! I almost didn't recognize her. Time was really kind to her."

"You know her, Pop Pop?" Lucy asked, sounding surprised.

"She and I had a few drinks together when I was overseas during the war. Lovely lady, she is." He admitted, chuckling. "We never really hit it off, but in the little time we knew each other, we did become friends. I kinda regret not keeping in touch with her."

* * *

"Huh. Pop Pop knows Miss Grimwood?" Lincoln commented out loud, not expecting to hear that today.

"What was that, Lincoln?" Miss Grimwood asked as she had her pet spider, Legs, check over the net, make sure it was ready.

"I was just talking with my family and friends, and my grandfather said he knows you." Lincoln explained, a look of surprise coming to the middle aged witch's face.

"Really now?"

"Abigail? Do ya hear me?" Albert's voice said over the phone.

"Wait..Albert? Well, isn't this a small world? It's been so long." She said with a soft smile as she spoke into the phone.

"Too long, if ya ask me." Albert said. "Perhaps we can catch up after the game?"

"That sounds lovely. I will talk to you then."

"Right-o." Albert replied, handing the phone back to Lisa just as the cadets were marched onto the field, led by Colonel Calloway. The girls and Lincoln were all leering angrily at them, no one more so than Sibella. Tug felt his heart drop when he saw her scowl.

"Squad, halt!" The Colonel commanded, his students coming to a halt. "Left face!" They all turned on their heels in unison to face him. "Cadets, we are about to engage the enemy in our annual game of volleyball...some of you should be grateful that Miss Grimwood is allowing you to come play at all.." He said angrily, glaring especially at Simon, who looked like he couldn't give a monkey's. "...but regardless, remember the Calloway Code. Engage the enemy with Courage! Fight with Honor! And face victory or defeat with Dignity!"

"All the way with Calloway!" The cadets responded with gusto before the Colonel dismissed them to go stretch. While he went to go meet Miss Grimwood, Sibella stormed her way over to the cadets.

"Sibella." Jamal greeted her in a civil manner.

"Jamal…" She replied curtly in response. "I just wanted to say that, while I do not know who was responsible for what happened before…" Tug felt as if a weight was dropped on his heart when he heard the anger in her voice. "...you better hope I don't. I have zero tolerance for creeps peeping on me…" When she said that, all eyes turned to Simon. While almost all of them had angry frowns, Tug gave him what could only be described as a death glare.

'You lying sack of…' He thought furiously, Simon trying (and failing) to look innocent.

"...and for those who try and frame my dear friends…" She continued, her eyes following their gaze, getting the hint immediately.

"Sibella, while I suspect this may be too little and too late, and I cannot speak for all of us…" Mel started, his emotionless eyes glancing to Simon for the briefest moments. "...I would like to offer our sincerest apologies that this shameful occurrence even took place."

"Affirmative." Jamal agreed.

"That goes double for me." Baxter followed along, Miguel and Grunt nodding as well.

"Sibella, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am, especially as the group's leader…." Tug started to say.

'Not to mention the orchestrator of the act…' Baxter thought derisively.

"...And as such, I am somewhat responsible for the actions of my fellow cadets. But I hope you will forgive those who had nothing to do with the occurrence…" He concluded, hoping it would, in some small way, make up for what happened to his friends. Simon may not care, but he did.

"...I'm not sure I am ready to accept an apology right now...but in time...perhaps." Sibella responded somewhat cooly. Not that she didn't doubt that most of the cadets had nothing to do with the trouble, just she couldn't really trust who was truly innocent. She had a few ideas, but the last thing she wanted to do was assume.

"Fair enough…" Tug replied sadly as Sibella sauntered away.

"Girls…" Simon grumbled, right before Tug got right in his face, his own face red with fury.

"When this game is over...I am going to make you wish you were never born…"

"Too late. The Colonel beat you to it." He replied, purposely trying to irk Tug.

"Focus, everyone." Jamal instructed, getting the two's attention. "Volleyball first, payback later."

"...right." Tug growled, stepping away from the troublemaking young man.

* * *

"So those are the Calloway Cadets." Rita commented with a frown.

"How can guys so cute behave so badly….?" Leni asked, looking disheartened.

"Judging by their collective expressions and the hostile actions of the blonde haired one…" Lisa said, her eyes narrowed in a calculating way. "...I suspect that the one with bright red hair may be the only one who had 'behaved badly' as you put it. But that is only a snap judgement from a distant observer…"

"Whatever. Linc can crush those guys, no problem." Lynn Jr said, drinking deep from her cup of root beer.

* * *

"Ah, Colonel Calloway. Punctual as ever." Miss Grimwood said cheerfully.

"Good day, Miss Grimwood. I trust everything is in order?" Colonel Calloway asked, stiff and gi as usual.

"Quite, Colonel. We're just waiting for our referee to arrive." Just then, a bluish green and yellow van with a few orange flowers spattered upon it at odd intervals came driving up to the court. On the side were the words The Mystery Machine.

"Tata da da da da!" The backdoors were kicked open as a brown, great dane puppy leaped out of the van with flip. "Puppy power!" He declared.

"Scrappy!" Elsa, Phanty, Winnie, Phanty and Tannis all cheered, running over to see the pint sized pup.

"Hiya girls. Long time no see." He said, chuckling as they all gave him hugs.

"Reah. A rong rime." Said another, much larger great dane said as he climbed out the back, along with a tall, scruffy looking man Lincoln suspected may be a hippy, wearing a green shirt and brown pants and shoes.

"Like, it's good to see you all again."

"Shaggy, Scooby, Scrappy. How lovely to see you again. I am thrilled you accepted our invitation." Miss Grimwood said with glee, Matches running over to see Scrappy and Scooby again.

"Wouldn't miss it for anything." Scrappy said with a smile. "I'm honored you asked me to come referee your game again."

"Talking dogs..." Lincoln and Milly both said together with raised eyebrows. "Well, that brought some surreality to my day…"

"Jinx. You owe me a carbonated beverage." Milly said quickly.

"Dang it…" Lincoln grumbled, looking a little sour.

"Allow me to introduce you to our new students." Miss Grimwood said as she lead the ex coaches over to the field. "This is Gila, Gosuki and M-149." She continued, indicating each of the new monster girls. "And our first exchange student from Royal Woods, Lincoln Loud."

"Hi there." Lincoln said, shaking each of their hands and paws.

"Hi Lincoln. I gotta say, I'm surprised to see a human boy here." Shaggy said. "And it's a pleasure to meet you girls."

"Ri rhere." Scooby said.

"Pleased to meet all of you." Scrappy said.

"Ah. Mr Rogers. Mr Doo. Mr Doo. Good...to see you again." Colonel Calloway said, though he looked and sounded far from glad to see them, especially Shaggy.

"Like, likewise, Colonel." Shaggy replied, not quite catching his displeasure.

* * *

"Awww. That little puppy is sooo cute!" Lola cooed with a big smile.

"I know, right?" Leni agreed.

"I dunno. I think he's kind of annoying." Lori commented.

"Same here." Lucy monotoned.

"I think I saw a guy like that at one of my concerts…" Luna commented, looking at Shaggy.

"...talking...dogs…" Lana said with a look of utter wonder. "...so awesome!"

"Ssshh." Ronnie Anne hushed them as Scrappy took his seat on the high seat. "Looks like the game is about to begin." They all watched the screen closely as Sibella, Winnie, Elsa, Gosuki and Tanis took to the Grimwood side, and Mel, Tug, Grunt, Jamal and Baxter took to the Calloway side.

"Awwwww. Linky isn't playing…" Leni said, looking a little disappointed to see Lincoln on the bench.

"They're probably saving him for later." Clyde commented between bites of corn chips.

"Saving the best for last, ya mean." Albert commented with a laugh, having all the confidence in the world in his grandson.

"Say...is it just me or does Lincoln look...a little different?" Lynn Sr asked, leaning in a little closer.

"Now that you mention it Dad...he does look a little more fit." Lynn Jr replied with a smile. "Good to know they take fitness seriously there."

* * *

"Let the game begin!" Scrappy called from his perch as Colonel Calloway pulled a coin from his pocket.

"Care to call it in the air, Miss Grimwood?" He asked seriously.

"Ever the gentleman. Of course." She answered as he flipped the coin. "Tails." The colonel let the coin land in his hand and slapped it onto the back of his other hand. When he moved his hand, it came up heads.

"Calloway serves first." The spunky pup called, tossing them the ball.

"Remember, Mel. Try and aim away from the overgrown lizard." Tug whispered to his emotional challenges comrade. He nodded, his eyes scanning the field carefully. With Gosuki taking up the center, rear position, he decided to aim for the front, where Winnie and Elsa were located. Satisfied with his strategy, he struck the ball over the net and the game began. The two teams seemed very evenly matched. While the girls had most of their monster born strengths, the boys had their training and discipline (at least most of them), and both teams had incredible teamwork.

"Wow. Those guys are really good." Lincoln commented as he watched the game, letting Milly maneuver the drone as needed to get the best shots of the action. Gosuki had returned a Grunt slammed spike, making Baxter work to bump it back.

"They sure are." Phantasma said with a nod. "But so are we."

"I'll bet you're loving this, aren't you, Lynn?" Lincoln asked with a smirk, looking down at his phone.

"You know it." Her voice replied. However, on the opposite bench, was someone who wasn't enjoying how even the game was. Simon watched as the two teams failed to score on one another with something akin to contempt. The cadets should be winning hands down in his mind. Fortunately, he had a few aces up his sleeves.

"Did you bring the stuff, Miguel?" He whispered to his fellow benched cadet, who glared at the untrustworthy boy beside him.

"Yes...but we're not using them…" He responded firmly.

"Oh, come on. What's the point of bringing them if you didn't plan on using them? You want Calloway to win, right?"

"I do...but we're going to win with integrity. Just like Colonel Calloway and Tug want."

"Pfft. Like the Colonel cares. And Tug...he's a fine one to talk of integrity, since he sent me to get Lincoln out of the way. Remember?" Simon muttered with a sinister smirk. When Miguel still looked defiant, he leaned closer and whispered. "Well, if you're going to be that way, maybe I should tell our 'illustrious' leaders about your internet history…" The inventive cadet went pale, turning to look at him.

"You wouldn't…"

"Try me, wrench monkey." The two locked eyes for a moment, Miguel looking fearful and Simon looking diabolic. After a few seconds, Miguel sighed and pulled his duffel bag from under the bench. "Good boy...but not yet. Let's see how things play out." He said as Winnie managed to spike the ball between Tug and Grunt, scoring the first point for Grimwood.

"Smooth move, Winnie!" Lincoln called out.

"Thanks partner!" She called back, giving him the thumbs up.

* * *

"Lincoln wasn't kidding. That little wolf girl has got some moves." Lynn Jr complimented after the family cheered for Grimwood.

"Looks like Calloway should have had the 'were'withall to avoid challenging her. Hahahaha!" Luan quipped. Her sisters were enjoying the game too much to groan at her attempted pun.

* * *

The next couple points were a back and forth between Grimwood and Calloway. Grunt managed to take advantage of Suki's lack of agility to score on her, and Jamal teamed up with Mel to sneak a shot past Elsa. On the other hand, Sibella's 'batty' serving and Tanis' teamwork with Winnie each earned points for Grimwood.

"Like, this game is even more intense then last time." Shaggy commented as he chomped on a fire roasted frank from Matches. "The girl's have really improved since we left, Scoob."

"Reah." Came the great dane's response, his mouth full of hot dogs.

"That's right. You guys coached them last year, didn't you?" Lincoln said, looking toward the man and his dog. Shaggy nodded in reply. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you leave?"

"Well, after the whole 'Revolta incident', my nerves were kinda shot, and when Miss Grimwood sprang the surprise of new students, it was kind of the last straw, ya know?" The scruffy man admitted.

"Yeah, I think I understand." Lincoln told him. "Miss Grimwood told me about Revolta. I could see anyone getting super stressed after that…so what did you do after?"

"Scoob and I got back together with the gang and we went back to doing what we did best; solving mysteries. But after a while, things started getting really dangerous; like, real ghosts, aliens, and zombies and the like. And not the nice kinds like the girls here. So, after a fashion, we decided to retire for good."

"Reah. Ras for Rappy, rhe rent on ro rerome a rersonal ritness rinructor." Scooby attempted to explain.

"Er...sorry, Scooby, but I'm afraid you lost me at rerome…"

"He means Scrappy became a personal fitness instructor after we parted ways." Shaggy translated. "Been doing pretty well from himself from what I hear. As for me and Scoob, we take odd jobs where we can. I've been considering getting back into the funny car racing circuit…"

"You used to race cars?"

"Once, yeah. Gave it up to pursue the whole mystery solving career with my friends. It could be kinda scary sometimes, but after what we've been through the last year, I don't think there's anything on the road could possibly scare us." Shaggy chuckled a bit, returning his attention to the game. Lincoln smiled lightly as he did the same, just in time to see Tanis score a point past Grunt.

"Way to go Tanis!" Milly cheered, raising a fist into the air in celebration.

"Keep it up, Tanis!" Lincoln called out encouragingly.

"Thanks Milly! Thanks big brother!" Tanis called back.

* * *

"Did Tanis just call Linky 'big brother'?" Leni asked in surprise.

"I think she did." Lola confirmed.

"Ceeeeeeyuuuuuuute!" They squeed together, the rest of the sisters giggling at the adorableness of both them and how close Lincoln and Tanis seemed.

* * *

Things were starting to look a little grim for the cadets as Suki head bumped the ball between Baxter and Mel, putting Grimwood two points in the lead. Simon started to frown, the deceitful boy deciding it was time to launch plan A. He reached into Miguel's bag and covertly pulled out a small remote control. Once he was sure Scrappy and the Colonel weren't looked, he turned on the remote, which activated a small drone hidden in the trees nearby: a tri prop flying machine outfitted with what looked like a laser pointed on the front painted in jungle camo. Miguel winces a bit as he heard the little flyer take to the air overhead. Fortunately for him, it was small enough to not be noticed, compared to the camera drone of Lisa's. Simon grinned as he flipped a switch on his control unit. Jamal had just returned a serve from Sibella, which sailed over the net and headed right for Elsa's position.

"I got it!" She called, looking up to set the ball up for Winnie to spike the ball in. Right before she jumped, Simon pressed a button and the laser pointed turned on, shining right into Elsa's left eye. The franken-teen winced as she rubbed her eye, the ball falling right behind her.

"Elsa? You had that!" Winnie said in disbelief.

"Are you alright?" Tanis asked out of concern.

"Yeah...yeah. Just felt like something was in my eye." She answered, feeling a little disappointed in herself.

"It's ok, Elsa. It could happen to anyone." Sibella pat Elsa on the back reassuringly. They quickly return to their positions as Tug served the ball. This time, the ball went to Sibella and, just like Elsa, she felt an irritation in her eye, which distracted her long enough to miss the ball.

"Ok...that's just fishy right there...oh, sorry, Gila." Lincoln looked to the aquatic girl, who was sitting on the far end of the bench. Although she was getting more comfortable around Lincoln, there were just a few too many humans around, putting her on edge.

"Don't worry about it, Lincoln." She replied.

"What do you mean, earthling?" Milly asked, raising an eyebrow as Phanty flew out to check on Sibella.

"Don't you find it just a little odd that both Elsa and Sibella had 'something in their eyes' the moment the ball came close to them."

"..now that you mention it...but it could be a coincidence." The little martian said. However, it happened two more times; once with Suki, and once with Tanis when she jumped to strike the ball. The latter resulted in the little mummy falling flat on her face on the ground pretty hard. Fortunately, the ground wasn't too hard. However, it still hurt her enough to put her into tears. Miss Grimwood had to call a time out while she tended to her, helping her off the playing area.

* * *

"Oh no...poor Tanis…" Rita gasped, her hands going to her mouth.

"Ya think she'll be alright?" Luna asked, looking to Lisa.

"I don't think there will be any lasting injuries…" The little genius replied.

"Am I the only one who thinks that something is rotten here?" Lynn Jr asked with a frown.

"You really think so, junior?" Her father asked.

"Guys….look at Lincoln…" Lori suddenly said, pointing at her little brother on the screen. Lisa zoomed in on him, with tears in his eyes and his face turning red with anger.

"Whoa...Little Linc looks mad…" Bobby commented, looking very concerned. His concern was contagious, spreading to the Loud family around him, Lincoln's friends, and especially Ronnie Anne.

* * *

"Ok, Earthling...I am willing to admit this goes beyond…." Milly started to say, but she immediately shut up when she saw the look of wrath on Lincoln's face: one he usually reserved for when someone dared to hurt his sisters. The only issue is that he had no idea who to direct his wrath at. He started to look around the field, looking for a target. On the Calloway side, the boys looked as concerned as the girls. Not them. No one on the Grimwood side, surely. His eyes soon came upon Miguel and Simon: the former looking guilty and the latter with a look of malicious glee on his face. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the delinquent cadet, his attention going to something he was trying to hide in his lap.

"Lisa, can you turn the camera to the Calloway bench? Zoom in on the slimeball with the slicked hair?" He asked his phone, barely able to contain his rage.

"If you wish….just let me...wait...what is that he's holding?" There was a moment of silence before she suddenly said "It looks like a remote control device." When he heard that, Lincoln's eyes suddenly went skyward, scanning the air for anything out of the ordinary. He soon saw what he was looking for: a little, dark colored drone, hovering high above, just off the field.

"There's something up there. Around three thirty." He said to his phone, Milly turning to see what he was looking at.

* * *

"Three thirty? But that's not for another forty five minutes…" Leni said as she looked at her watch.

"...you're adorable Leni…" Lisa dead panned before she turned the camera toward the offending object.

"That looks like another drone." Clyde commented.

"Well spotted, Clyde. Armed with some form of light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation device. Street name, laser." Lisa said as she zoomed in closer to the opposing flyer.

"Those rotten cheaters!" Lynn Jr shouted, crushing the handful of chips she was holding in her anger.

"Now hold on, slugger. we don't know for certain that boy is controlling that contraption." Albert said, more trying to calm the sports star than him actually believing it.

"It would be simple to find out for certain." Lisa started to press a few keys on her computer. The image of the camo colored drone shrank down to the corner while the majority of the screen was taken up by the view of Simon. "Now we just need to wait for the game to resume and…." Practically the second she said that, Simon's fingers started to manipulate the controls. And when he did that, the little machine started to move. "Lincoln, it is confirmed. That individual is controlling the drone."

* * *

"Thanks Lis…." Lincoln growled, his eyes locked on the drone.

"Those dishonorable dogs…" Milly was beside herself with anger. "I'll deal with that…." She said, reaching for her raygun.

"Hold it...that would attract too much attention…" Lincoln warned her. "And they could accuse us of cheating instead."

"Then what do you recommend, earthling!?" An indignant little martian asked.

"Lisa, I don't suppose you outfitted the drone with any form of defense capabilities, did you?"

"Negative, Lincoln. I thought that would be frowned upon." Lisa responded.

"I thought not…" He was disappointed, but not licked yet. "Milly, think you could knock that thing out of the sky anyway?"

"Just watch." Milly grinned as she sat back down, her grip tightening on the controls for the camera drone.

* * *

"Friends and family, prepare yourselves for a drone on drone dogfight." Lisa informed them, privately a little excited at the prospect.

"Really? Sweet." Lana commented with a grin.

"But what about the game?" Leni asked.

"I'll give you a play by play." Lincoln replied over the phone.

"Then go on and knock that cheater out of the sky, Lincoln!" Ronnie Anne cheered.

* * *

The camera drone swung around to face the smaller, laser armed machine. Milly cracked her knuckles right before she flew right at Simon's cheating device. Meanwhile, the Calloway cheater was getting ready to shine the light into Winnie's eyes. Before he could however, Milly side swiped it, knocking it off its position and well off its aim. The collision of plastic made a loud noise, but the distance from the field and the noise of the game drowned it out. However, Simon did notice something was up when Winnie was able to hit the ball back uninterrupted. He looked up and back, just in time to see the larger camera drone trying to force his laser drone down and out. "The hell…? Well, two can play this game…" Simon grumbled. He maneuvered his mini flying machine out from under Lisa's flying camera, then tried to slam into the propellers of its larger foe.

"Oh please…" Milly chuckled while rolling her eyes. "That kind of move is taught in martian pre-school." She easily evaded his obvious strike and slammed the underside of her own machine on top of his. While Simon attempted to regain control of his tool of wrongdoing, the mini martian was already facing the opposing drone, ready to ram it again. Seeing he didn't stand a chance fighting her toe to toe, he decided he needed to take out the pilot. He aimed the laser pointer at Milly, ready to zap her right in her eyes. However, the alien girl saw this coming and was able to cover her eyes before the laser could hurt her. And even more fortunate, she could control the drone with one hand, slamming the nose of the camera drone into her opponent, knocking a propeller clean off.

* * *

"Whoo hoo!" Lana cheered as she saw the offending flyer took battle damage.

"Way to fly, 149!" Lynn Jr yelled excitedly. "Scrap that cheater!"

"Hey, I think there could be a tv show in this." Zach pondered out loud. "Battle drones. RC aerial combat."

"Oddly enough, I quite agree." Lisa said, quietly loving how her own flying machine was performing in this skirmish. "Let us discuss the idea more thoroughly after the game."

"Looks like the scoundrel is trying to get away." Lucy said, pointing at the screen as the smaller laser drone tried to make a wobbly escape.

* * *

"Not on my watch…" M-149 narrowed her eyes, a determined smirk on her face as she steered her drone into Simon's, forcing it toward the ground at a rapid descent. A few feet from the ground, Milly pulled out of the dive, but the other flyer slammed into the ground, smashing into pieces. The Loud boy and alien pilot both smiled with satisfaction at the look of anger on Simon's face while his family cheered upon watching him crash.

"Masterful flying." Lincoln complimented.

"Well, he was a pathetic pilot...but that was never the less very satisfying."

"Damn it…" Simon muttered with anger, while Miguel looked back at the twisted remains of his hard work sadly. "That martian munchkin…."

"Just stop it, Simon...they're on to you…" Miguel whispered to him, praying he would listen.

"Not until we win." The weasely cadet growled. While Simon and Milly were dog fighting, Grimwood had an opportunity to strike back and close the score gap. In fact, the two schools were tied at ten to ten. "Time for plan B…" From the bag, he pulled out a water bottle filled with a yellowish liquid filled with tiny specks of some kind of herb. He poured some of the liquid onto his hand and rubbed them together for a few seconds. "Hey, Tug. You're looking a little tired, buddy. How about we swap out for a bit?" The blonde haired squad leader looked to Simon like he had grown a second head. He was quite suspicious of this sudden show of teamwork from him, but wasn't about to look a gift break in the mouth. He was getting pretty tired. The two cadets swapped places, with Lincoln keeping his eye on Simon.

"What are you up to?" He pondered quietly as Simon's equally suspicious teammates passed him the ball to serve. The lowdown, cherry haired young man scans the Grimwood side of the field, rubbing the ball with his hands as he did so. Once he seems to have decided on a strategy, he bumped the ball over the net toward Phanty. The giggly ghost easily returned it, her own shot blocked by Baxter. The ball headed right for Sibella. The vampiress smirked as she ran forward to send it back. However, right before she could hit it, she suddenly recoiled back in horror and disgust, which made the ball land on the ground in front of her.

"Point for Calloway!" Scrappy announced, looking over at Sibella with curiosity and concern.

"Are you alright, Sib?" Winnie asked, walking over to her.

"I...think so." She replied, rubbing her forehead. "I don't know what came over me…"

"Maybe you're getting a little too much sun." Suki commented as she threw the ball back to the cadets.

"No...that's not it...but I think I'm fine now." The girls returned to their positions, and the game resumed. Simon served again, this time aiming for Gosuki. A tail swipe sent the ball with terrific force, which Grunt had to save with a spike. Winnie dove for the ball, reaching it just in time. However, the moment she touched the spheroid, a sudden pain and sense of fear shot through her. She instinctively jumped back, her fur standing on end as she heading the sore spot on her arm, growling at the ball.

"What the…?" Lincoln asked, scratching his head at the sight.

"What's gotten into Winnie?" Shaggy inquired, having never seen her act like this before.

"Ri ron't row." Scooby admitted, taking a sniff of the air. "Rut is romeone rooking rarlic read?"

"No time for that now Scoob.." His scruffy owner and friend commented. However, their conversation did get Lincoln's attention.

"Garlic bread? Hmmm. I don't smell anything...but Scooby's nose is much more powerful than mine…" He said quietly. "If he smells garlic…" His eyes widen as realization hit him; Sibella's reaction earlier. "There must have been some garlic on the ball! And I think I have a pretty good idea who put it on there…" He muttered, glaring at Simon. "But what about Winnie? Garlic shouldn't have any affect on her…" He leaned over to his phone. "Lucy, what would cause a werewolf to react like that?"

* * *

"That's easy, Lincoln. Wolfsbane, also known as Monkshood." She replied in her usual monotone. "You aren't suggesting…?"

"I am...I'm willing to bet that cheater's at it again, putting something smelling of garlic and wolfsbane on the ball…" He muttered.

"Then call foul, bro!" Lynn Jr snapped. "Don't let him get away with this!"

"I can't prove it was him." Lincoln responded, though it pained him to say it. "At this point, anyone who touched the ball probably have hands smelling of garlic, if only faintly."

"As much as I abhor complimenting such devious tactics, I must commend this individual for his planning skills." Lisa commented sourly. "He clearly put a lot of thought into these acts of sabotage."

* * *

"Yeah...but he's messing with the man with the plan…" Lincoln said as he put down the phone. "Time out!" The five girls on the field looked at Lincoln in surprise when they moved over to him, the cadets taking the time to take a breather. Sibella and Winnie, for some reason, stood a little away from everyone else.

"What'cha thinkin', Linky?" Phanty asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Someone on Calloway's side tainted the volleyball with garlic and wolfsbane.." He whispered.

"WHAT!?" They all exclaimed, the one son needing to quickly settle them down.

"I know. I know. I'm just as ticked as you all are, but unfortunately, we can't prove which one it is, and most of us have hands smelling of garlic too." He pointed out quickly and quietly. Suki held her hands to her snout and took a deep breath before wincing in disgust.

"PU! He's right…"

"I do have my suspicions on who it is, however, and we can still make him pay for it while playing by the rules."

"You have my attention, Linc…" Winnie smirked as she leaned her ear closer to listen.

"Sibella, Winnie, you two will need to sit out for a little while until we can clean off the ball." Lincoln said, nudging his head toward the bench. Sibella and Winnie both saw this coming and nodded, though the little werewolf can't say she was happy about it. "Whoever the ball goes to next, fumble it into that puddle over there." He gestured with his thumb over to a small puddle in the swamp by the field. "That should help cleanse the ball. After, all pile on Mr Cherry Head." He grinned as he looked to the smug and confident Simon.

"Why him? Is he the one you suspect?" Gila asked.

"Yes. Also, since he seems rather fond of cheating, I doubt he put much effort into practicing, so let's put as much pressure on him as possible."

"Lincoln, I like the way you think." Elsa said with a smile, slapping him on the back and nearly knocking him to the ground. "Oops. Sorry."

"What do you think they're talking about?" Grunt whispered to Jamal, looking at the Grimwood huddle.

"Beats me. I've mastered a few skills, but lip reading isn't one of them." Jamal replied.

"Does it matter guys? We got this game in the bag." Simon pointed out, lazily stretching.

"You seem rather sure of yourself, considering you never really participated in practice…" Mel pointed out in his droning voice.

"Do you know something we don't?" Baxter asked, giving him a judging eye.

"Come on, guys. We're Calloway. All the way, remember?" He answered, trying to sound slick. He was failing miserably.

* * *

"I wish I was there right now…" Lynn Jr growled, steam billowing from her nose.

"Calm down there, little miss…." Liam said, getting ready to hold her back.

"Indeed. If I know Lincoln, and I think I know my brother as well as I know my sisters, he has a plan." Lisa commented, looking toward the Grimwood huddle.

"Right." Clyde agreed. "Lincoln may not be an athlete, but he is a strategist."

"Oh, look. The game is about to start again." Leni pointed out with a smile. "And look! Linky's gonna be playing!" She was correct, as Sibella and Winnie joined Tanis and Milly on the bench, leaving Gila, Elsa, Phanty, Lincoln and Gosuki on the field.

"...I reeeeeeally hope he knows what he's doing…" Lola muttered, not wanting to see Lynn any angrier. They all watched carefully as Calloway served the ball, right toward Lincoln. As he planned, he purposely fouled the save and made it land right in the puddle of water.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" The sporty brunette screamed, causing all nearby her to cover their ears.

"It is part of Lincoln's strategy." Came a soft voice they hadn't heard before.

"To whom do we have the pleasure of speaking?" Lisa asked in a polite manner.

"Sibella Dracula."

"Oh! You mean the daughter of the Count that Linky's-" Lola started to say, but Bobby hastily covered her mouth, casting a worried glance over at Ronnie Anne. She was trying to maintain an outward, calm appearance, but had fire in her eyes as she was looking at the pageant princess.

"Er….so what was that you were saying, Miss Dracula?" Bobby asked nervously, desperate not to further irritate his little sister.

"Lincoln did that on purpose. He reasoned that he could clean off the smell of garlic and the presence of the wolfsbane from the ball this way, so Winnie and I could potentially rejoin the game later."

"Huh…..ok….what happens next, then?" Lynn Jr asked, relaxing a little bit after hearing Lincoln's logic.

"Dog pile on the cheater." Winnie answered with a snicker.

"Hehehe. I approve."

* * *

"What'd I tell you!?" Simon asked through hysteric laughter after Lincoln's fail. "That guy is gonna be the best player on OUR team yet!" Lincoln glowered over at him as he tossed the ball to Jamal.

"Remember Simon, dignity in victory as well as defeat…." The tall african american scolded him before he began his service.

"Gila!" Lincoln called out, kneeling down and holding his hands together as the aquatic girl ran over to him. With his help, she sprang up high enough to spike the ball right toward Simon. Being completely unprepared, he just screamed and ducked, letting the ball impact right behind him and Lincoln catching Gila before she hit the ground. "Great spike!"

"Thanks for the assist…" She replied, smiling slightly to him as he let her down.

"What was that, cadet!?" Colonel Calloway screamed, positively livid. Simon's fellow cadets, on the other hand, found it kind of amusing, snickering behind their hands.

"I...was just caught unaware, Colonel. Won't happen again." He said in a shaky voice.

"See that it doesn't!"

"Keep it up girls!" Winnie cheered. "Ram that ball down his throat!"

"Oh, I am tempted to…" Lincoln muttered. It was Phantasma's turn to serve, targeting Simon just as they planned. He managed to return it, barely, and sent it toward Lincoln. Thanks to Winnie's coaching, he easily set it back. Unfortunately, he hit it toward Grunt instead, who power slammed it back. Fortunately, Elsa was quick to bump it right back. Mel and Simon both went for it, but missed completely. The next serve went to Baxter, who set the ball up for Jamal to bump over toward Gila. The fish girl counter by bouncing it off her head, right toward Simon. He went for the ball, but it hit him right on the nose and then hit the ground.

"Ow! Son of a…." He grumbled, rubbing his nose.

"Are you ok, Simon?" Baxter asked, though he really didn't care.

"I'm out." The unreliable cadet growled, retaking his spot on the bench from Tug. "That little white haired rat…..time to resort to plan C…."

"You had a plan C?" Miguel asked incredulously.

"Yes. One I put together myself…" He admitted, pulling an rc car with a little grabbing hand set on top.

"What does that even do?"

"Simple. I drive it close to my target and it pulls their pants down. This will throw them off, AND humiliate them." He elaborated with a smirk.

"...that is the dumbest plan you've had yet…."

"What's wrong with it? It's genius."

"It's stupid. Ignoring the fact that if you tried to drive that thing onto the field, it would be seen in an instant, only one member of their team even wears pants…" Miguel explained, exasperated. "And the ones that aren't are either wearing dresses or a space suit…"

"Pants, underpants, all the same to me…" Miguel just gaped at twisted excuse of a cadet beside him as he set the car down. However, just then, Mel came over, stepping right onto the car, crushing it to pieces as he looked to Miguel. Simon's jaw hung open as he started down at the demolished car under Mel's shoe

"Time to switch." He said blandly, the young hispanic boy nodding as he took to the field. Then, he looked to Simon as he twisted the heel of his shoe on the remains of his plan C. "There will be none of that…." He may not say much or show much emotion, but he was far from stupid. He knew (or at least suspected) that Simon had been up to something this whole time, and he had had enough. He gave one more quick stomp before he sat down on the bench, cool as you please, eyes on the game. With Simon off the field and out of dirty tricks, the game returned to being fairly even. Lincoln did his best, but even with Winnie's coaching, he couldn't quite compete with the girls or the cadets. It didn't stop him from trying though.

"Like, the score is 20 to 19, Scoob." Shaggy pointed out as Phanty managed to sneak a shot past Grunt (who was really getting tired at this point). "Grimwood just needs one more point to win."

"Alright, Gila." Suki said with a smile as the creature's daughter got ready. "Let em have it!" The bulky cadet growled, wiping the sweat from his face. He still had enough strength left in him for one last strike, and he intended to make it count. Gila bounced the ball up and Grunt jumped up to spike it back, right at Lincoln. Before he could even move, the ball slammed right into his head, bouncing right back at the pudgy young man who had hit it, smacking him in the face before it dropped onto the net and Lincoln fell to the ground.

"That's Calloway's ball." Simon called out, grinning at the sight of Lincoln on the ground.

"Not so fast, Simon. Grunt was the last to touch the ball before it touched the net." Scrappy announced firmly. "Therefore it's Calloway's fault and Grimwood's point. Grimwood wins."

* * *

The noise was borderline deafening as the Loud family and their collective guests all cheered, whooped and hollered when Scrappy declared Grimwood the winner. "That's our boy!" Lynn Sr shouted in celebration, hugging Rita tightly.

"Way to go Grimwood!" Lola and Zanya both cheered at once.

"That'll teach that cheater!" Lynn Jr laughed.

"You girls and Lincoln rocked that game!" Luna screeched, throwing up the horns.

"uh….guys? How come Lincoln isn't celebrating?" Leni asked, pointing at the spot on the field where Lincoln still lay. "In fact...why isn't he moving?"

* * *

Things were just as boisterous on the Grimwood side of the field. All the girls were cheering and jumping around, even the usually stoic Milly. Shaggy and Scooby were both doing a little victory dance together. Even Miss Grimwood was clapping loudly. "We won! We won!" Winnie cheered with a howl, dashing over to where Lincoln was still on the ground. "Come on, Linc! Get up and join the celebration!" She said, helping him sit up. He was limp in her arms. "Hehe. Come on. Up and at em." She said again with a nervous chuckle, starting to get the attention of the other girls. "...Lincoln?"

"What's going on over there?" Jamal asked the other cadets, pointing over at Winnie and Lincoln.

"I don't know...but it doesn't look good…" Tug said, running over for a closer look, along with Colonel Calloway.

"Ok….jokes over, Lincoln….this isn't funny…." Winnie said, on the verge of tears as she shook him, only to get no response. His head flopped slightly to one side, a trickle of blood running down the side of his face from where the ball had hit him. The girls all gasped at the sight, crowding around Lincoln.

"Miss 149, please direct the camera on the phone toward Lincoln's injury. Phantasma, if you would be so kind as to shift Lincoln's hair aside…" Lisa instructed over the phone. If this were another time, Milly would have objected loudly to being ordered around by an Earthling, but this was different...somehow. Lisa squinted her eyes as Phantasma brushed Lincoln's hair aside, coating a few strands in blood. "Hmmm...it's not as severe as I feared...such an impact could have caused a massive skull fracture…"

"I'm so sorry…" Grunt apologized, pale in the face at the sight of the unresponsive Lincoln. "I didn't mean to hit him like that…"

"...still, Lincoln will require medical attention immediately. He could have a serious concussion, or possible worse…"

"H...How much worse?" Both Sibella and Rita Loud asked at the same time. Lisa didn't answer, but her silence spoke volumes. The little genius quickly started looking up hospitals nearest to Grimwood's while Sibella looked down at Lincoln, her eyes filled with tears. Then a thought struck her. She could possibly save Lincoln! It would be very risky, and it would change the young man's life forever...but wouldn't that be better than losing him? She glanced down at his exposed neck, considering her options. She was starting to bare her fangs when Miss Grimwood moved over beside the fallen boy.

"Girls, boys, please...give us room." She requested calmly, beckoning them to back up from Lincoln's unmoving body. Most of the girls and all the cadets did as she told. It took some effort from Elsa to pry Tanis from Lincoln, and the combined effort of Winnie and Phanty to make Sibella stand back.

"Well, looks like you got just what you wanted…." Baxter whispered to Tug, his voice dripping with disgust. "I hope you're happy…"

"What? I never wanted this to happen to him…." Tug replied quietly. "I just...just wanted him to stay away from Sibella…"

"Why? He made her happy." Baxter said under his breath to his squad leader. "If you cared about Sibella even half as much as you refused to admit to, then shouldn't her happiness be important to you? Or is it all about Tug? It's all about Sibella being available for you, even if you don't have the guts to admit your feelings...Well, you got your wish. He'll be staying away from her now...possibly forever…you can keep on being a coward. Congratulations." The young boy's words felt like a knife through Tug's heart, each sentence twisting it deeper and deeper. He fought back the torrent of tears begging to be released, managing to choke out:

"...You're right, Baxter...every bit of it...I have been a coward….a selfish, thoughtless coward….not just toward Sibella, but Lincoln...if only I could make it up to them….both of them…" Tug couldn't fight it any more, the tears spilling down from his cheeks.

"Tug...I think you ought to see this." Mel commented, pointing toward the comatose form of blonde haired young man looked up just in time to see Miss Grimwood sitting behind Lincoln, his head in her lap. Her hands were held at either side of his head and her eyes were closed.

" **Emmora seletath enned….** " She started to chant, the wind around them starting to pick up. "... **tellavore lyonti jerax ya!** " Her eyes sprang open, both pupiless and glowing as the wind started howling, circling the pair of them. " **Emmora seletath enned….zenete Lincoln tezzeven palor!** "

* * *

"What is she doing?" Lynn Sr asked, frightened beyond all wit.

"I'm not sure…." Rita answered, beside herself with worry. "But...I'm sure she knows what she's doing...right?"

"I'm afraid science has no answers to that question, parental units…" Lisa replied sullenly.

"Don't worry...Miss Grimwood will help him...I know she can." Zanya said, holding Lola and Lana's hands.

"Please….please be alright, big brother…." They prayed quietly, close to tears.

"If...if he makes it through this….I promise, I'll never call him lame-o again…" Ronnie Anne muttered to herself, trying her damnedest not to cry. "I'll stop with the pranks….I'll...I'll be honest with him…."

* * *

" **Emmora seletath enned….rezent IXTORA MAVALLLLLLLA!** " The head mistress' voice seemed to reverberate as she screamed those last words, the light in her eyes shining bright as Lincoln's head started to glow. To the amazement of all bearing witness, Lincoln's visible injury was fading away. And the deeper wounds that couldn't be seen were also being healed. Then, as quickly as it all happened, it stopped: the wind died down, the glow around Lincoln faded, and Miss Grimwood started to collapse. Fortunately, Phantasma was quick enough to catch her before her head hit the ground. After a few tense seconds, Lincoln's eyes slowly opened.

"W...what happened?" He asked weakly.

"He's ok!" Tanis cheered, breaking free of Elsa's grip to run over and give him a big hug. Sibella's heart lifted as she swooped down to hug him from the other side. Another round of cheers were heard, both at Grimwood's and in Royal Woods. Even the Colonel and the Cadets seemed thrilled to know Lincoln was still alright. That is, except for one. Simon, watching from a distance, grumbled as he heard Tanis' exclamation.

"That…..was incredible…" Tug said, his mouth agape at what he just saw, Baxter standing beside him with a small smile.

"It was. I knew Miss Grimwood could help him." Baxter commented.

"Wait...you knew?" Tug turned to face the youngest of the Calloway Cadets. "You knew she could heal him? Then why did you talk like Lincoln might never recover?"

"I just wanted to make a point." He replied simply. "And I dare say it worked."

"...yeah, I guess it did…"

Lincoln blushes lightly as Tanis and Sibella hugged him, then looked upward was Miss Grimwood groaned a little. "M...Miss Grimwood? Are you ok?"

"Yes, dear...just winded...healing spells of that magnitude take a lot, even from a seasoned witch like myself...but the more important question is: are you alright?"

"Apart from a splitting headache, I'm fine…"

"Thank goodness. We'd thought we might have lost you, Lincoln…" Sibella admitted, turning Lincoln to look her in her teary eyes. "I….I…."

"Sibella...it's ok...I'm fi-" His words were cut off by Sibella's soft lips pressing against his, his cheeks turning scarlet as the two shared their first real kiss.

* * *

"Aaawwwwwwwww…" Cooed the ten Loud sisters and their parents (yes, even Lisa and Lucy).

"And he gets the cutest one of the lot...yeah, life's fair." Rusty half joked, half groused with a smirk. In reality, he was happy for his friend (if still kind of jealous), just like Liam and Zach. Stella and Jordan both giggled, unable to contain themselves.

"Hehe. Chip off the old block." Albert muttered, taking a deep swig of ginger ale. "Just like his ol Pop Pop." Bobby, on the other hand, was fearfully looking over at Ronnie Anne, as was Clyde. They both knew how Ronnie Anne felt about Lincoln (despite both of them denying any relationship beyond friendship) and were afraid she would explode about now. But no. She looked relieved, much to their befuddlement. Yes, on the inside, she was angry that Sibella and Lincoln were kissing, but her joy and relief that Lincoln was going to be alright over rode her temper. She could worry about the vampiress later.

* * *

Back on the volleyball field, The Grimwood girls were all as giggly and thrilled as Lincoln's siblings (minus the shipping grins, naturally), with Tanis sighing happily like she was seeing a fairy tale come Calloway Cadets were mostly just relieved Lincoln was alright, with Jamal and Grunt whispering how lucky the white haired Loud was. Baxter smiled lightly at the two of them, and even Mel's mouth seemed to curl ever so slightly. Tug, on the other and, felt crushed at what he saw, but nowhere near as much as he suspected. He knew that Baxter was right; the way he was acting lately was cowardly, plain and simple. Refusing to admit his feelings, attempting to sabotage Lincoln...but he made a promise to make it up to them, and he intended, on his honor as a Calloway cadet, to keep it. Miss Grimwood smiled sweetly as she slipped away from the two and rejoined the grownups. "Ah, young love…" She said quietly.

"Risn't it rweet?" Scooby commented with a sigh. Colonel Calloway simply huffed a bit in reply.

"Like, it reminds me of when Googi and I were dating." Shaggy said, wondering what his ex was doing about now.

"Well, Colonel, it was a good game, as usual." Miss Grimwood finally said, holding a hand out to shake his.

"Affirmative, Miss Grimwood, save for the incident at the end…" He replied, shaking her hand in return. He was privately quite upset at the loss, but he had to set an example for his students and put on a show of good sportsmanship. "Same time next year?" He asked, while thinking 'if there even is a next year for us…'

"But of course, Colonel. Until we meet again." The motherly witch replied, cheerfully waving goodbye to the stern old colonel as he reorganized his cadets.

"I think he may be softening up. He almost stopped scowling." Shaggy whispered sarcastically to Scooby, getting a snicker out of his faithful canine compatriot.

"It was a thrill seeing you two and Scrappy again." Miss Grimwood said to them, shaking their hand and paw respectively. "I don't suppose you three would mind staying until after the Halloween festivities? The girls and I would be happy to have you."

"Sounds good to me." Shaggy said, looking to the great dane beside him, who nodded in agreement.

"Well, that makes it unanimous, then." Scrappy piped up as he joined his uncle, Shaggy and Miss Grimwood.

"Splendid." The middle aged headmistress said, utterly delighted. She glances over at Lincoln and Sibella, who were, surprisingly, still kissing one another. To them, it was as if the rest of the world no longer existed. All there was was the human boy and the vampire girl, and the moment they were sharing right now.


	14. Chapter 14: Plan A

Plan A

It was late at night in the manor house belonging to the Lesrec family. However, the only ones in the massive house at the moment was the young Malora, and her two friends, Jen and Mitzy. Mr and Mrs Lesrec were busy at the studio that night and the servants were given the night off. To Malora, this was perfect; it gave her the opportunity to plan her next move with her friends. They were congregated in her room, surrounded by posters of the latest pop and movie stars, sitting at a round table with many dents on its surface. "Ladies, tomorrow, we will utterly ruin that ratty haired little nothing…"

"You mean like last time…" Jen grumbled to herself. While she would consider herself to be one of Malora's few, true friends, she couldn't deny she was getting tired of her attitude. She would usually act like a snob or a loud mouth, but with this Zanya girl, she had a vendetta unlike anything Jen had seen before. It went beyond conceit. It went beyond bullying. She was going into pure evil territory

"You say something?" Mitzy asked, turning to look at her.

"No…"

"Earlier today, I learned something very interesting about Miss Piggy…"

'That she's a puppet and not a real pig...?' Jen snarked in her head.

"...brace yourself for this..she is a zombie." Malora revealed, grinning at them with the aire of someone who just discovered Atlantis. Her two minion-friends just stared at her for a moment as if she had finally lost her mind.

"A….zombie?" Mitzy asked, trying to confirm she heard correctly.

"As in a shambling, mindless, walking corpse?" Jen followed up. "She doesn't seem so shambling and is far from mindless…"

"Unlike you…" Malora spat, her green eyed 'friend' glaring at her. "I'm serious. She is one of the walking dead, and I can prove it." She pulled out her phone and pulled out a video she had taken earlier; Lucy and Lana were playing Monkey in the Middle with Zanya's body in the Loud family living room, using her head as the ball, all three having all kinds of fun.

"A….are you seeing what I'm seeing!?" An astonished Mitzy wondered aloud to her fellow henchperson.

"Yes. Malora spied on some little kids in their own home to pursue her vengeance…" Jen said derisively, her patience wearing thin. Being in such a good mood, Malora let that slide this time.

"That's right. Zanya, without her head, and still moving. You know what this means?"

"Other than she's a zombie?" Malora glared at Mitzy, but otherwise chose not to dignify her with a response.

"This is a perfect opportunity to see her not only kicked out of school, but run out of town. All we need to do is get the word around to the students, and then-"

"I need to stop you right there…" Jen suddenly intervened, stand up from her seat.

"Jen, you should know better than to interrupt me…" The spoiled brat said warningly.

"Don't you think this is going way too far?" She asked, paying no mind to her boss-friend's warning. She had a feeling she already knew the answer, since the material girl had laughed while Zanya nearly starved to death in the mall. "I mean, what did she ever do to you?"

""She refused my VERY generous offer to become associated with me…"

"Oh yes...very generous. You'd treat her like garbage, make her dress like you, do what you say when you say, and stroke your ego whenever possible. Positively irresistible…" Jen said sarcastically, crossing her arms. Malora glared at her, her teeth clenched.

"I don't think I like your attitude…"

"That makes us even…" She replied, unintimidated. "It was one thing when we were just mocking others, or even occasionally beating someone up. But this...this is out and out evil."

"Jen, think about what you're saying…" Mitzy said nervously as the two glared hatefully at one another.

"I am. I am saying she is evil. She's willing to go as far turning an entire school and possibly an entire town against someone just because she wouldn't become her whipping girl. She sat by and laughed while someone was in serious pain, possibly even dying, because she wouldn't be her friend slave. Do I REALLY need to continue!?"

"Dying? She's a zombie! She can't die!" Malora countered.

"...I can see I'm wasting my time…" Jen growled, pulling off the matching jacket she wore and throwing it on the table.

"Jennifer! If you step away from this table, we are THROUGH! Mitzy and I will never speak to you again!" The spoiled Lesrec threatened.

"Way to sweeten the pot. Now I won't have to deal with you anymore now or ever." Jen snapped back, slamming the door behind her on the way out.

"FINE!" Malora screamed, slamming her hands down on the tabletop, making two new dents in it. "We don't need her...we can ruin that gluttonous ghoul by…." She blinked as she felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it from her pocket and found a message for her.

Jen: Fine.

Malora growled and threw her phone across the room. "When I'm done with that dang zombie, she's next….back to the matter at hand….here's what we're going to do…" She leans in closer to her one remaining friend and starts to whisper her plan of attack to her.

* * *

Outside in the chilly night air, Jen was starting to have regrets about her actions. Not that she regretted telling that pompous brat off or leaving when she had the chance; she regretted losing her cool before she had a chance to learn WHAT Malora was going to do. But there was no time for that now. She may not know much, but she knew enough to make Malora's life (or at least her vengeance) difficult. She just needed to make sure the right people knew about it. Hence why she found herself staring at Casa Loud from the sidewalk. There wasn't anyone outside at the time, so this was an ideal opportunity. She crept up to the front door, pulling a small piece of paper from her pocket. She started to write a message onto it "Zanya, Malora knows your secret. Beware." She was about to slip it under the door when…

"Hey...what are you doing?" Jen jumped so hit, she nearly hit the overhang. She looked back to see little Lana walking Charles in the front yard.

"W...what are you doing?" She asked in reply, trying to keep quiet.

"Walking the dog. What's it look like?" She pointed to the leash in her hand. "Now it's your turn."

"I don't have time to…" She started to say, but then the door opened behind her. She turned slowly to see Lori and Luan standing right behind her.

"Can...we help you?" Lori asked, raising an eyebrow at the obviously suspicious looking girl before her. The family clown glanced down and noticed the note on the floor.

"Who's Malora?" Luan asked, picking up the paper scrap. Jen looks between Lori, Luan and Lana, then sighs. She was hoping she could have just left the note and went home, but now...well, may as well get it over with.

"I can see I have some explaining to do. Might I come in? And is Zanya home?" The three sisters glance at one another before Lori nodded, cautiously letting Jen inside while Lana continued to walk the family dog. Once inside, Jen started to get nervous; not because she was about to rat out her her friend boss, but because almost all the Loud sisters were in the living room and were now looking at her. The only ones absent were Lucy and Lisa.

"Who's that?" Lynn Jr asked, sitting up on the couch.

"I'm….I'm Jennifer…" She replied nervously as Luan led her to the nearest chair to sit, while Lori went upstairs to get Zanya.

"And what exactly is your connection with Zanya?" Luan asked, in full judging mode.

"I'll explain everything in a moment…" Jen said, shrinking back into the chair as six pairs of eyes stared at her. Once more she was filled with regrets as the tense wait for Zanya began. Fortunately, she didn't need to wait long, for Lori soon returned with the Grimwood girl in tow.

"Ok, here I am. So, what's…..hey, aren't you one of Malora's friend!?" Zanya asked, her guard going up immediately.

"Malora? As in Malora Lesrec, the tv star?" Lola inquired.

"You know her?" Zanya turned her attention to Lola.

"I know of her. She has quite a reputation in school and in the pageant circuit. I...may have taken a little inspiration from her when it comes to intimidating the competition." Lola explained, smirking a little.

"...I WAS Malora's friend…" Jen finally answered. "Zanya, I need to warn you about her…"

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Luna asked, her eyes narrowed.

"...she knows you're a zombie!" Jen exclaimed quickly before she could be interrupted again. There was a very tense silence in the room before Zanya finally asked.

"How…?"

"She was listening in when you and Coach were talking in the hall...after she had shoved you in the locker in the first place…" Jen admitted, keeping her eyes on the ghoul girl and off the glaring Loud Sisters.

"Wait...she did that!?" Zanya sounded positively furious at that revelation. "Why that…."

"I think she's planning to tell everyone at school…."

"You...think?" Luan questioned, leaning in closer as she leered at her.

"I didn't hear her plan...I stormed off after we had a really big fight about how she had been acting lately…"

"Something about this smells mighty fishy to me…" Luan commented with a frown, which soon became a bit of a smirk. "Lynn, grab her legs."

"What!? Wait!" Jen cried but it was too late. Lynn grabbed hold of her legs in a vise like grip.

"Now, what's really going on here? And it better be the truth. I have ways of making you talk, after all." Luan said quietly and threateningly, almost nose to nose with her.

"I….I swear, I am telling the truth!" The frightened young lady said, sweating slightly.

"Lynn, off with her shoes." Luan instructed, but before Lynn could moved.

"Let her go." The two ponytailed brunettes turned to see who said that. To their surprise, it was Zanya, looking very serious. The sporty Loud did as she said and the two of them backed away from Jen, allowing Zanya to step before her. "What was your name again? I didn't catch it earlier."

"J...Jen."

"Zanya. Now, what was it your were saying before? About this big fight you had?"

"Malora and I started arguing while she was telling us about how she learned you were undead...I told her that what she had been doing lately was…..well, terribly wrong."

"When did this start?" Lori asked, stepping over beside her zombie guest and friend.

"Since the incident at the mall." She admitted.

"Wait..you were there?" Leni asked simply.

"...we were responsible…" It was immediate uproar the moment she confessed that. She had Loud sisters screaming at her from all angles, causing her to wince and cover her ears.

"YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE!?" Lori yelled in fury.

"YOU GUYS GOT THOSE BULLIES TO STEAL ALL HER SNACKS!?" An outraged Leni exclaimed.

"DUDE! SHE COULDA STARVED!" Luna shrieked.

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!?" Jen screeched at the top of her lungs, furiously rising from her seat, tears spilling from her eyes. Her sudden move and yelling caused all seven of the girls to stop in pure shock. "I know what almost happened! I was there! I heard her pain! I feel bad enough about it!" She was practically bawling at this point, which softened the moods of most of the girls, apart from Lynn Jr and Lori. Feeling a certain sympathy for her, Leni stepped past her sisters and hugged Jen, trying to comfort her.

"There there...we're sorry we yelled like that…" She said softly. "We were just upset...Zanya is a very good friend of ours, after all…"

"I know...and I'm sorry…"

"Let's start from the beginning…" Zanya said, standing between the Loud siblings and Jen. "What exactly happened at the mall? From your side."

"M..Malora had called us to the mall after she followed your van there and had us wait in the rest area by the main fountain. My role was to watch for mall security, while Mitzy did the leg work and watched you guys. Malora..she took care of everything else."

"By which you mean bribing those neanderthals to steal all her food?" Lori asked sternly.

"And ensuring the Food Court was closed." Jen added. "I don't know how she did it, but she did it."

"But why..why did she do it?" Zanya asked, wondering what possible reason Malora could have to pull such a stunt.

"She wanted to see what would happen if you didn't get anything to eat...and she thought it was hilarious…" Jen admitted with disgust.

"And that's when you started to have a change of heart?" Leni inquired, to which Jen answered with a nod.

"I meant why is she doing all this to me to begin with? I did literally nothing to her." Zanya asked again.

"Remember when she asked you to 'associate yourself with her'?" The undead child nodded, starting to dread where this was going. "She took offense to your refusal." Eight hands met eight foreheads simultaneously at that revelation (even Lily's).

"So...she's started this stupid crusade against me...because I wouldn't be her friend?" The Grimwood girl asked, hardly able to believe what she just heard.

"Friend slave, but yes."

"That is the dumbest reason I ever heard…" Leni groaned.

"..and that should tell you something." Lynn Jr added.

"Tell me about it...and now she knows you're a zombie and, is probably going to tell the whole school, somehow.

"I'm not that worried about that." Zanya replied bluntly, surprising the green eyed blonde. "I've been waiting to tell the kids at school since I got here. It was Principal Huggins that kept us from doing so…" She explained to Jen before she started pacing. "But that's the part that does worry me. The Principal. I don't think the kids will react the way he thinks, but if he finds out they know, he might think I told them, or worse, one of the Louds did…"

"What about proof? I doubt she has any kind of proof that-" Lola started to say.

"She has a video of some of you playing with her head." Jen interrupted.

"When did she get that!?" An outraged Lori snapped.

"Earlier today, after she followed Zanya here."

"...someone needs to get a life…" Luna grumbled.

"I wouldn't fear, dear siblings and friend." Lisa said as she casually strolled down the stairs.

"Lisa? How much did you-?"

"The whole thing. I was listening in from within my lab." She explained, walking over to join the group.

"Listening in from her lab? What does she mean by that?" Jen asked.

"Little Einstein here has cameras everywhere in the house…" Lynn Jr replied, clearly sounding less than pleased about it. Lisa simply shrugged it off.

"...how old is she?"

"Four and a half, if you must know. Save any further questions for the end, if you please." Lisa instructed, a little annoyed at being delayed in having her say. "Now then, the fact that this Malora girl has video evidence of Zanya's true self, there is very little we can do about that, legally. However, we do have protection of our own should Principal Huggins come for us as a result of the proverbial cat being let out of the bag."

"What do you mean?" Zanya asked.

"As Lynn pointed out, I have an array of cameras established around the house, including the perimeter." Lisa elaborated, smiling softly. "Once I heard that Miss Lesrec has intruded upon our property, I simply needed to review the footage, and voila." Lisa held her own phone, showing a video of Malora sneaking over to the house and filming the occupants inside. "Instant evidence."

"Lis, your creepy obsession with science has finally paid off." Lynn Jr said with a grin.

"I resent your implication that my interest in science hasn't, in some way, born beneficial fruit." Lisa deadpanned, somewhat worrying Jen that she didn't even address the creepy aspect of it. "Point being: we may not be able to stop her from doing what she plans to do, but we can do our best to protect Zanya and/or ourselves, depending on how things go."

"Jen, thank you so much for warning us about this." Zanya said, shaking her hand in gratitude.

"I just wish I could have done more, sooner." Jen replied, shaking her hand in return. "I better head home, before my parents start to worry."

"If you want, I could give you a lift home." Lori offered.

"Thanks, but I don't have that far to go." Jen said, walking toward the door. "See you around."

"Bye, Jen. See you tomorrow at school." Zanya said, with the Loud sisters waving to her as she departed.

* * *

The next morning, Malora and Mitzy had arrived at Royal Woods Elementary long before even most of the teachers had arrived. Getting in wasn't hard for her; she knew of a window into the cafeteria which couldn't be locked. Once inside, she and her friend-minion started to plant flyers into each of the lockers. On each flyer was an image of Zanya mid game, with her head a few feet off of her body, and a message: Warning. A zombie walks among us. A dangerous, flesh eating monster has infiltrated our school. It takes them both nearly an hour to fill all the lockers, giving them only a few minutes leeway to get out the cafeteria window and join the crowds coming off the buses getting inside the front door. The fiendish tv star grinned as she watched student after student go to their lockers. She may end up a little late for class, but she wanted to see the fruits of her labor. Meanwhile, Zanya, Lucy, Lana, Lola, and Lisa had all just arrived, each one nodding to one another before they split up. Zanya walked past her locker, which was still missing its door, listening as the children around her muttered to one another. "Hey there, beautiful." Chandler called out to her, grinning a bit as he leaned against his locker.

"Good morning, Chandler." Zanya replied with a smile.

"Have you seen this yet? It was stuck in my locker." He showed her the flyer that was in his locker. "Can you believe someone would try to get everyone to believe something so stupid?"

"Actually, Chandler...can we have a word?" Zanya asked, motioning him to follow her to the nearest empty classroom. His grin faded for a moment, wondering what it was she wanted to talk to him about. Once he stepped inside, she shut the door behind him. "That flyer, while entirely humorous, is half correct."

"...the part about the flesh eating monster?" Chandler asked, getting a giggle out of Zanya.

"Wrong half. No, I mean there is a zombie walking among us. Me." She told him. "I'm a zombie."

"...really?" Was all Chandler had the wit to say upon hearing that. She nodded, looking right at him, anxiously awaiting his response. He was silent for a good long while before he reached out his hand and gently held her chin, moving her head slightly to the left and the right. "Huh. A pretty zombie. Who would have thunk it?" Her cheeks went a little red when he said that, making him smile again.

"So, you're ok with that?"

"It's a bit to take in...but really, what's changed?" He asked with a shrug. "But why tell me now?"

"I would have said something earlier, but Principal Huggins told me to keep it quiet." She explained. "But now...I think it'd be a moot point. But until he says something, can I trust you to keep it secret?"

"Sure thing, babe." Just then, as if on cue…

"Zanya! Lucy Loud! Lana Loud! Lola Loud! Lisa Loud! My office! NOW!" bellowed the voice of Principal Huggins over the loud speaker.

"Speak of the devil…." Zanya muttered.

"Good luck, Zanya." He said to her, the two sharing a quick hug before she left to go face the raging director of the school. The Loud sisters were already present, looking calm as you please when Zanya arrived.

"Well, here go nothing." Zanya said, smiling lightly to her friends. "You guys ready?"

"Indubitably." Lisa responded.

"Yeah!" The twins responded together.

"We have nothing to fear from him." Lucy added. The five of them joined hands for a moment before they walked in unison into Huggins' office. He looked positively irate: his face was red, little jets of steam were billowing from his nose with each breath, and the few hairs left on his head were getting singed from his anger alone. As soon as they all lined up in front of his desk, he slammed one of the many flyers circulating around the school in front of them. Not a single one of them flinched.

"Who. Talked?" He asked in a voice of barely contained rage.

"No one, sir" Lucy responded.

"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME, LOUD!" He screamed right in her face, getting hardly any reaction from her. "How would it be possible for this flyer to EXIST if one of you hadn't broken your promise!?"

"Principal Huggins, with all due respect, a promise doesn't usually involve…" Lisa started to say.

"Can it, Loud!" He snapped. "Your mouth, I don't want to hear right now!"

"Principal Huggins, think about it." Lola said, stepping forth and leaning forward against his desk. "Why would we tell someone if it meant suspension for one of us? And especially if we suspected someone would do something this stupid?"

"Thank you, Lola." Lisa said with a nod. "Not quite as articulate as I would have put it, but still well said."

"Thank YOU Lisa." Lola replied. While her words irked him all the more, he couldn't deny she had a point.

"Ok….IF what you say is true, you Louds are covered..but not you, Zanya." He said, glaring at the Grimwood girl.

"I didn't talk either, sir." She said firmly, shaking her head.

"Oh? So I guess someone just HAPPENED to stumble upon your secret!?" His voice was drenched with sarcasm.

"Don't be ridiculous." Lisa responded, adjusting her glasses.

"No, sir. Someone stalked me to learn my secret." Zanya added.

"And filmed us in our own house." Lana threw in her two cents.

"Do you really expect me to believe that!?"

"You've been in our living room before, sir." Lisa said calmly, Lana nodding in confirmation. "I'm sure you recognize the furniture in the background." Principal Huggins glances down at the picture on the flyer. He then blinks as he notices the old couch just behind Zanya. How did he not see that before?

"...well, that doesn't prove that it was this supposed stalker that was responsible."

"I had a feeling you would say that." Lisa said, placing her phone on his desk. "Take a look at this." The middle aged principal raised an eyebrow at the little genius, gazing down at her phone. There was a video on pause showing a shot of the outside of their house. He pressed play and watched quietly. The first few minutes showed nothing, but then Malora came into the shot, sneaking across the lawn to the bay window. His mouth hung open as Malora took her phone and started to record something inside the house. "Satisfied?"

"...it seems I owe you all an apology…" He finally said quietly.

'You owe me about nine or ten apologies….' Zanya thought, slightly bitter.

"...what are we going to do now?" The principal asked, sitting at his chair, his head in his hands. "The cat is out of the bag, and the kids are scared…"

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?" Lola asked with a frown. Principal Huggins shook his head.

"No. I had a few children come to ask me about this...ask if it was true…"

"...let me talk to them." Zanya said, a soft smile appearing on her face. "I think it might help ease their minds if you let me set the record straight."

"Like she wanted to from the get go…" Lola added, rubbing salt on the wound.

"...well, it's not like it could make things much worse…."

"I find your lack of faith disturbing…." Lisa commented as Lucy and Lana walked with Zanya to the door.

Just outside the reception room leading to the principal's office, the halls were thick with children from grades kindergarten to six along with their teachers; all of which wanting answers. Well, the kids did. The teachers already knew the truth, but couldn't say anything. Zanya's friends from her class were close to the front, along with Chandler (though he was a little further back). Hidden deep in the crowd, Malora was grinning like the cat who got the canary. Her plan worked, in her opinion, flawlessly. Now she just needed to watch the fireworks. After several minutes of nervous waiting, Zanya emerged from the office, the Loud sisters surrounding her. She looked them all over for a moment: some of them indeed looked scared, others looked curious, and the rest utterly lost. "Friends, fellow students, and members of staff..." Zanya started in an effort to get their attention. "...I'm sure almost all of you have seen the flyers that 'somehow"..." she looked directly at Malora when she said that, making her smile falter for a second. "...got into our lockers. I intend to set the record straight regarding these notices. They are, indeed, half true. I am a real zombie, but I am NOT a flesh eating monster." The revelation had brought about a mixed bag of emotions from the crowd. Some of the younger students looked more scared than ever, some of the older ones clearly thinking this was the coolest thing ever, while others were having a hard time processing this. "Please, allow me to explain from the beginning. As most of you know, I came here from Miss Grimwood's Finishing School as part of the student exchange program recently implemented by our two schools. A school dedicated to teaching young monster girls…"

"Wait...you mean there's a school just for monsters? Like, legit vampires, werewolves, and the like?" A first grader piped up from the crowd.

"Exactly."

"Cool!" He cheered, his excitement becoming infectious among his peers. A couple kindergarteners looked back at them with curiosity.

"Hehe. Anyway, Miss Grimwood sent me here in an attempt to help better human and monster relationships."

"You don't believe this, do you?" Malora said from the crowd, trying to stir the pot against her.

"Why not?" Clyde spoke up, working through the crowd to stand with Zanya. "Has she given us any reason not to?"

"Sure 'nough." Liam said, joining his friend, closely followed by Stella, Rusty and Zach. "Zanya's been nothing but nice and neighborly ta us since she came here."

"And she wouldn't hurt a fly either." Girl Jordan added. "Even though she has the strength to kick a locker door clear off its hinges, she never has and never would use it to hurt any of us...even those who bullied her."

"Someone's been bullying her!?" Miss Johnson exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, but that's not important at the moment." Zanya replied, wanting to keep on topic.

"But...doesn't being a zombie mean...you're dead…?" Darcy asked, holding her stuffed giraffe close to her in fear.

"In a sense, yes." Lisa replied, stepping forward to have her say. "I have done a study on Zanya's biology from the moment we had met. I can confirm that she is, indeed, living impaired. That said, the way she was reanimated, the usual rules do not apply to her." She paused for a moment to look over the crowd, almost all of them looking as lost as Leni. Exactly as she expected. "By that, I mean that, while she technically deceased, she is not decomposing in any way, shape, or form. In fact, her hair, skin, and muscle tissue are almost as pristine as our own."

"And before anyone asks about the whole flesh or brain eating thing, it's not true in my case. Unless you're made of carrots, chocolate or cheese, I'm not going to be eating anyone." To emphasize her point, she opened her backpack and pulled out her little baggies of snacks to show them all.

"Oh, that is so clearly a ruse…" Malora said with a roll of her eyes, clearly trying to instigate more trouble. "She's just waiting to get one of us alone before putting the bite on us…" Chandler just laughed at that, getting everyone's attention.

"That's funny." He said, casually walking through the crowd over to Zanya. "Zanya and I have been alone quite a few times over the last few weeks…" He put an arm around her, getting a bit of a blush from the zombie girl. "...and as you can see, I am unnibbled. Zanya may be a zombie, and a lovely one at that, but she's not that different." Chandler's words seemed to have a great impact on the other students due to his popularity, making things more calm.

"Hehehe. Thanks Chandler. And he's right. I'm just like the rest of you, except I can do this." She gently pulled her head off her neck, set it on her finger and spun it like a basketball. "WHEEEEEEEEEE!" The younger kids couldn't help but laugh at that, further breaking the ice. Malora frowned, carefully backing her way out of the crowd. Zanya's head soon stopped spinning, causing her body to stagger a bit. "...just I can't do it for long…." A few of Lisa's classmates slowly moved over to the zombie girl, who knelt down and held her head out to them so they could see it a little closer. They cautiously held out their hands to touch her face. When she giggled instead of snapping, they were encouraged to get closer. Meanwhile, Lola and Lana had noticed Malora vanishing from sight. The twins shared a glance before they made their way through the dense wall of kids. After what she did, they weren't going to let her get away with it scot free. The hard part was getting through the crowd; after that, they just needed to find her. Having been part of the school safety patrol, they knew all the places for rats like her to hide. It didn't take them long to find her, as she had tucked herself in a dead end corner by one of the girl's bathrooms, fiddling with her phone.

"There you are." Lola declared smirking. "Thought you could get away, did you?"

"Not on our watch…" Lana said seriously, crossing her arms. Malora just looked up at them, smirking almost as much as Lola.

"And what exactly are a pair of munchkins like you going to do?" The twins grinned to one another, pulling out a plunger and a toy wand respectively. "Hmph. Whatever. Not like I was trying to get away anyway."

"What do you mean?" Lana asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I mean, it was time for plan B."

"Plan B?" Lola asked, glancing to Lana, who just shrugged. Before they could inquire any further, they heard the sound of a number of cars coming to a screeching halt in the school parking lot and lawn. "Uh oh…."


	15. Chapter 15: Plan B

_AN: Breaking my alternating rule for the sake of the story. Didn't want to do the Halloween open house chapter with this was going on and couldn't really think of a filler chapter on the Grimwood side, so I doubled up on Royal Woods. Next time, I'll double up on Grimwood to balance it out._

 _Additional AN: My sincerest apolgies to all. You are right. That original ending was utterly uncalled for. I will rectify that immediately. Thank you for pointing that out to me._

* * *

Plan B

Outside of Royal Woods Elementary, a whole fleet of cars came to a screeching halt in front of the school. What emerged from the cars was the one thing any school administrator would fear most: upset parents. Hundreds of angry, confused, frightened parents, summoned to that school because of one message: a text message that warned them their children were in danger. That a dangerous zombie was loose inside the school. While a majority of them didn't believe the whole zombie schtick, the very fact the word danger was used in conjunction with their children was enough to get them to come in droves. Mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and even foster parents stormed across the grass before kicking the doors wide open. Everything froze for several minutes at that point. The army of parents started in absolute disbelief at seeing Zanya holding her own head in her hands, looking back at them with shock. The children all looked at their parents and guardians, wondering what they were doing there. Principal Huggins felt a lump in his throat as he felt this was the beginning of the end. The silence seemed to go on forever when finally…

"Oh my goodness!" A mother finally screamed. "A zombie!"

"And it's after our children!" Another screamed.

"Let's get it!" A father interjected, raising his fist with his rallying call.

"What!? No, wait! You've got it all wrong!" Zanya yelled, putting her head back on right. Her friends and fellow students try to come to her aid, but they were drowned out by the cacophonous roar of hundreds of parents who believe they were protecting their young. Seeing reason wouldn't work, the Grimwood girl decided escape would have to. Fortunately, Girl Jordan and Chandler were there to give her a boost, helping her leap clean over the crowd of children, letting her flee deeper into the school.

"Everyone! Wall formation!" Clyde instructed. While no one really knew what he meant, apart from Lincoln's circle of friends, they were able to fake it enough to create a living wall between the parents and Zanya.

Further down the hall, Lana and Lola were distracted by the sounds of the door being kicked in and the march of the parents on the school, giving Malora a prime opportunity to escape.

"Hey!" Lana shouted, about to give chase, but Lola stopped her.

"Let it go, Lana...I think we have a more pressing issue." Just then, Zanya came running up to them in a panic. "What's going on out there, Zanya?"

"Parents...lots of them...they think I'm after their kids…"

"That brat...she told all their mommies and daddies on you…" Lana growled.

"She's gonna learn that snitches get stitches…" Lola said threateningly, punching her free hand with her first. Lana opted not to point out the irony in her statement. "...But first thing first. We gotta get you out of here...there's a window in the cafeteria. It's never locked. Head out that and head for home." Lola instructed her. The zombie girl nodded and made a mad dash for the cafeteria. Quick as a flash, Lola had her phone out, texting her siblings and her parents about the situation.

It only took Zanya a few minutes to get to her destination and out of the school. However, the army of parents was large enough that they were starting to form a perimeter around the school. Fortunately, they were far enough away still that the zombie girl had a head start as she bolted across the grass.

* * *

Back in the school entry hall, a squad of parental guardians were remaining inside to protect the kids; a fact that Zanya's friends found especially frustrating since they couldn't leave and their 'protectors' wouldn't listen to reason. "This stinks…" Zach grumbled. "We're stuck in here when Zanya needs our help out there…"

"Tell me about it…" Chandler agreed sourly.

"Girl Jordan? What are you up to?" Clyde whispered when he noticed Jordan rapidly typing on her phone.

"Texting my folks. I may not be able to do anything, but they can. I told them about Zanya and I bet they would help her if I asked."

"Hey...good idea." Clyde said, smiling. "I told my Dads about Zanya too."

"Same with us." Liam added, gesturing to Rusty and Zach.

"I only just learned today about her being a zombie...but my parents know how I feel about her and they carry a lot of clout in town." Chandler said, pulling out his own phone.

"Is that so?" Lucy asked. "Do they know the Lesrecs?"

"Who doesn't? Why?"

"I think they deserve to know what their daughter's been up to lately." Lucy explained with a sinister smirk. While Jordan, Stella, Clyde, Zack, Rusty and Liam all sent SOS messages to their parents, Chandler relayed Lucy's message to his own parents to be sent to the Lesrec family before joining in Zanya's defense.

* * *

Zanya was starting to bless the fact that she was so interested in soccer; all that training gave her the leg strength and endurance to run far and fast. And right now, she needed to do both. She ran for her very unlife from the horde of parents all after her 'blood'. So focused on her escape was she that she didn't even look when crossing the street. A beat up old sedan came to a grinding halt as she zipped by, a tall man in a dark brown trench coat emerging from it. He simply gazed after her with a look of confusion, which was further fueled by the angry mob of parents and cars currently parading down the street. Frowning, the man leaned into the old car and muttered some instructions to the one behind the wheel. The car made a u turn and drove off down the road, leaving the man behind. He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and turned on his map app.

Up ahead, Zanya was only a few blocks from her destination, but the mob was still hot on her heels. This called for some evasion maneuvers. She suddenly turned, running across a front lawn and climbing over a fence to get to the backyard. Anything to put some distance between her and the mob, and hopefully throw them off the trail. A few of the angry parents followed her, though she had vaulted the back fence before they cleared the front. Unfortunately for her, they knew where she was going. After all, she had swapped with the Loud boy at the school, so it stood to reason that she would be living with the infamous Loud family. The zombie girl took to her heels down the street and around the block. Her destination was just head and she had slowed down the majority of her pursuers. She felt she was home free. She ran to the door, turned the knob...it was locked! Of course it was locked; Mr and Mrs Loud had work today. And what a time for the lock to actually work. The frightened ghoul girl considered kicking the door in when the parental mass turned the corner onto her street, marching toward her like a horde of...well...zombies. Tears filled her eyes as she put her back to the door, hundreds of protective parents converging on her location. Before they even set one foot on the lawn, however, Vanzilla came careening down the street. The mommy and daddy crusaders up front all took cover as the aged van jumped the curb and came to a halt between the young ghoul and the horde. Rita, Howard and Howard all quickly disembarked the vehicle while Lynn Sr climbed to the top of his precious car, wearing his tie around his forehead like a bandana.

"Back off!" He warns the hundreds of very confused grown ups before him, while his wife and Clyde's fathers got Zanya inside. "I've got bratwursts and I know how to use them!" He pulled a chain link of frozen sausages from behind his back, twirling them like they were nunchucks. Far from intimidated, he did succeed in perplexing Zanya's potential assailants. This gave Rita and the McBrides time to barricade the front and back doors.

"Are you alright, Zanya?" The Loud matriarch asked as she started passing out Lynn Jr's old sports equipment to arm themselves.

"Yeah...just really tired." The Grimwood girl said with a shaky voice. The poor girl was trembling from head to toe.

"How did this even happen?" Clyde's bulkier father asked, keeping an eye on the army outside.

"I bet Malora had a hand in this...she couldn't turn the school against me, so she convinced all their parents I'm some kind of monster...the bad kind, I mean…"

"Well, that's just terrible…" The taller of Clyde's dads said angrily.

"It's about to get worse…" Rita said, gripping her baseball bat, her look hardening as she went outside to join her husband in holding off the crowd. Lynn Sr was being backed toward the door, sweating a little as his lunch meat ninja skills were impressing no one. "I'm only warning you all once...ANYONE who dares to try and lay a hand on Zanya or either of us...gets to learn where Lynn Jr gets her batting skills from..." His wife growled, causing much more concern than her wurst slinging hubby. Just then, a pick up truck and a small squad of cars skidded to a stop on the street opposite the crowd. The Loud parents were a little worried at first, but to their delight, it was reinforcements for their side. The parents of all Lincoln's friends (and a handful of farm animals), rushed out of their vehicles and joined Rita and Lynn Sr, glaring down the swarm of parents before them.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Came a voice from the crowd.

"We're keeping y'all from hurtin' an innocent child." Liam's mother answered, wielding a shovel in her hand.

"Innocent child!? She's a zombie!" came a second voice.

"We know." Answered Jordan's father, his fists clenched. "But zombie or no, she is still a sweet little girl!"

"That's just what she wants you to think!" A third joined in.

"Are you even listening to yourselves!?" Rita shouted in disdain. "Take a look in there…" She gestured her bat toward the bay window. Zanya was curled up on the couch, scared and crying with both Howards trying to calm her. "Does that look like a monster to you? Because all I see is a scared little girl, no different from any of my children, or any of yours. A little girl scared because a bunch of 'big men and women' got the insane notion in their heads that she was the dangerous one here!" Her words penetrated through a few of them, making them feel rather guilty. However, that was still just a few out of many.

"Don't go feeding us that hogwash!" Flip said as he pushed his way to the front, armed with a grilling fork. "A zombie is a zombie is a zombie, and they're no good!"

"Flip!? What are you even doing here? You don't have any children here." Lynn Sr inquired with a frown.

"No, but their children are my customers. The more of them that get nipped, the more of my profits that get nipped. Besides, I'm sure there'll be a big reward fer getting rid of the monster." Even the parents on Flip's side had to roll their eyes at that, with one even saying:

"He doesn't speak for us!"

"So what I suggest you all do is get outta our way and leave the zombie ta us, and no one gets hurt." Flip said, poking his fork toward them as he spoke.

"No one but Zanya." Zach's father pointed out

"She's a zombie! They don't feel nothing. Now move, or we'll move ya, and there's a heck of a lot more of us than you!" Flip threatened. Those standing in Zanya's defense stood their ground, ready to fight to the last. "Suit yourselves! Let's get the ghoul!" Flip shouted, getting ready to charge. Before he even put his foot to the ground, a loud shot rang out. Everyone froze in place, Flip slowly looking down at his shoe. The tip of it had been blasted off, leaving his big and second toe sticking out of it. Hearing the shot, Zanya jumped off the couch and ran to the window, closely followed by the McBrides. All eyes turned to face a tall, grizzled looking man in a dark brown trench coat, a tan shirt, and black pants and hair was sandy orange and cut in a buzz cut, and his red eyes were locked in front of him. He had a five o'clock shadow and a scar down his nose. In his hand was a tarnished magnum revolver, which was pointed right where Flip was about to step and smoking.

"That's the only warning shot I intend to give!" He shouted, keeping his weapon raised. "Now, any of you mouth breathers wanna tell me why you're all bullying my little girl!?"

"Your little girl?" Rita and Lynn Sr asked together in amazement.

"Daddy!" Zanya cried with a smile upon seeing the man. Hearing her voice, he turned and smiled lightly, waving with his free hand.

"Hey there, princess. Be with you in a minute." A copper haired, uniformed police woman emerged from the crowd, cautiously approaching the man.

"Sir, do you have a license for that weapon?" She asked firmly. In answer, he put his gun away and pulled out a leather wallet, revealing his badge. She blinked in surprise. "You're an officer?"

"Detective Trent Talon, private investigator and senior inspector of the CIA's supernatural developments division." He introduced himself, snapping his wallet shut and putting it away. "Now you answer my question. What the hell is a police officer doing being PART of an unruly mob instead of trying to pacify it!?" The woman winced as Trent yelled at her.

"Mr Talon, you have to understand...I have a daughter at Royal Woods Elementary...and it was my understanding that she was in danger."

"I see. Well, it's my understanding that you're all a bunch of idiots. And I can clearly see my daughter is in danger." He glares at the police woman before him. "And believe you me...your superiors and I are going to have QUITE the chat when I'm done here…" He scoffed at her, then turned on his heel to step toward the group defending the Loud House. "Which one of you is Mr and Mrs Loud?"

"That...would be us…" Lynn Sr raised his hand, as did Rita.

"Trent Talon." He replied, holding his hand out to them. "Just wanted to give you my heartiest thanks for housing my little princess and protecting her from these troglodytes."

"Hehe...no sweat." The Loud father replied, shaking Trent's hand shakily.

"of course, Mr Talon." Rita said as she also shook his hand.

"Call me Trent, ma'am."

"Hang on a second….if yer little girl's a zombie...that must mean...yer a zombie too!" Flip shouted, pointing an accusing fork at Trent's back.

"Give me strength…" He muttered in annoyance before turning to face the greedy little man. "Listen, shorty, my blood pressure may be spiking right now, but I haven't kicked the bucket yet." Trent said as he angrily strode right into Flip's face, completely unconcerned about his fork. The negligent gas station owner gulped; with as close as he was, he could tell Trent was still among the living.

"Ok..if not you...then your wife must be!" As if on cue, the beat up old sedan came to a stop beside the others. From the driver's seat emerged a short, red haired woman with her hair done back in a bun. She was wearing a blue shirt, an ankle length black skirt, dark blue heels and a frayed old lab coat. From the back seat she pulled a strange device that looked like a cross between a rifle and a bug zapper. She turned it on, the barrel glowing neon blue with electricity arcing all over it, and pointed it at the crowd.

"First to even THINK about hurting my daughter gets their molecules scrambled!" She shouted threateningly, one eye twitching.

"Honey, your timing is just perfect." Trent said with a chuckle. "And as you can see, Meatball, my better half is also alive and well."

"Does SHE have a license for THAT!?" The police woman asked in utter terror.

"Technically, it doesn't even exist yet, so there are no laws governing it. Give it a few weeks, and ask me again." Trent answered nonchalantly.

"But, if neither of you are zombies, then how is she a zombie?" A voice in the far back asked.

"You wanna know why?" Trent asked, his voice getting more serious. "It's because I failed to protect her…"

"Trent, no...it wasn't…" The woman in the lab coat said with sympathy, lowering her weapon.

"Don't try and tell me it wasn't my fault, Cynthia. It was." Trent said sullenly to his wife, still facing the horde before him. "I was on a case to take down a crime boss going by the name of Cal Tenarbrus. He took exception to my interfering, and decided to turn our five year old girl into a speed bump...in our own front yard…..twice." You could have heard a pin drop after he said that, the detective leering at them all as if daring them to say anything, a tear trickling down his face. "Our dear little Zanya...it would have been her end, if not for my genius wife…." He gestured toward Cynthia, who nodded lightly. "She brought our baby back from the brink…"

"And don't even think of asking how. Not till I get that patent."

"...the process wasn't perfect though. It brought our baby back, but as a zombie. The way I see it, though, what's the difference? Yeah, her head and limbs are detachable. Yes, she has to eat more often. Yes, she's pale. But personality, mind, spirit, they were all the same. She was still our little girl, and if ANY of you think I'm going to let you hurt so much as a single hair on her head...you got another think coming…" He said in a low, angry tone, his hand on the handle of his handgun under his coat. His extra threat was unnecessary. however, for the tale he told them had more than taken the fight out of them. None of the ones he could had any hostility on their face.

"Come on, people! Have you forgotten!? Zombie!?" Came the voice of a young girl in the crowd.

"Who said that!?" Lynn Sr asked, trying to crane his neck to see who had the nerve to say such a thing. A sort of ripple could be seen in the crowd as someone was being pushed forward, until Malora was forced into the open.

"What's your name and malfunction, young lady?" Detective Talon asked, his steely glare on her. The cruel blonde simply glared defiantly in return.

"Her name is Malora Lesrec." Zanya said, slowly emerging from the Loud residence.

"No one asked you!" She snapped in response.

"Malora, eh? The girl from that soap opera?" Trent asked, getting a smug smile from Malora. "Never liked soaps before I saw your performance. Then I hated them." Her smile vanished with the speed of a light blowing out. "Now, what's your beef with Zanya?"

"I don't have to answer to you…"

"So, it's going to be like that, huh? You realize how much trouble you could get in for instigating a potential riot, right?"

"How dare you threaten me!?" Malora screeched, stamping her foot. "Just you wait until my parents hear about this! They will have your pathetic badge for this!" As she was having this tantrum, a limousine was pulling up to the scene, the now pacified army of parents parting to make way. Trent glanced upward as the doors opened and out came a short, thin man with a bushy moustache and a monocle on his face and a tall, pretty blonde woman in a magenta woman's business suit.

"That them?" He asked, nudging his head in their direction. Malora swung her head around, caught completely flat footed by the sudden arrival of her parents. She hadn't called them. What were they doing here? And what's more, why were they looking so furious at HER?

"Malora Winnifred Lesrec, you have a LOT of explaining to do!" Her mother exclaimed angrily, making the little brat flinch at the sound of her full name.

"What is the meaning of this message we received not long ago from our dear friend from the sewage treatment center!?" Her father asked, holding his phone where Malora could see all of her crimes of late in text.

"L..lies. All lies!" Malora replied frantically in an attempt to defend herself.

"So you're saying you haven't been bullying this young girl-"

"Mom! She's a zombie!"

"Don't interrupt, Malora!" Her mother snapped, making her flinch again. "...nor have you put her in a situation that seriously aggravated her condition, nor attempted to demonize her to the public!?"

"No, mother...not at all."

"That's a lie." Zanya interjected calmly, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Shut up, monster!" Malora spat back.

"Now now. That'll be enough of that." Trent said, stepping between them. "There's a simple way to figure out if she's been lying."

"And how would that be, Mr….?"

"Talon, Mr Lesrec. Detective Talon" Trent replied before turning to the police woman from before. "How exactly did you learn that your kid was 'in danger'?"

"From a text message." She responded. Malora's pupils shrunk to mere pin pricks. She knew where this was going and she was getting really antsy now.

"And what was the number connected to that text?" The detective and his daughter both grinned as the officer recited the phone number. Upon hearing the number, other adults in the swarm agreed they also received a message from the same number. More and more and more confirmation came pouring in, making Malora wish she could just disappear. "And, just for curiosity sake, does that happen to be your daughter's number, Mr Lesrec?"

"I'm sorry to say it is." Mr Lesrec responded, shame and anger in his voice. "Malora, how could you?"

"Because...she's a monster Daddy!"

"I fully admit to being a monster." Zanya said with a shrug. "But just because my species happens to be monster doesn't mean I act like one, nor do I have to. I wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally, scare them just to be mean, or use my strengths to cause problems with others, unlike you, Malora." The mean popular girl glared at Zanya, who simply glared back. "You gone out of your way to make my life here more difficult. Insulting me every chance you get, locking me in my own locker, hiring common thugs to rob me….I could have starved to death in the mall because of your actions. And why? Because I refused your 'generous offer' when we first met?"

"What is she referring to, Malora?" Mrs Lesrec asked, her voice dripping with disappointment.

"She means that she tried to make Zanya her latest friend-slave." Jen piped up, arriving on the scene with all of Zanya's friends and the younger Loud children.

"You miserable traitor!" Malora screamed, running toward her ex friend. However, she was quickly intercepted by not only Zanya, but Lucy, Lisa, Lola and Lana.

"I feel this course of action will not end well for you, Miss Lesrec…" Lisa said, her arms crossed firmly in front of her.

"Malora, we couldn't be more disappointed in you…" Mrs Lesrec said, shaking her head. "This is a most shameful way to behave…"

"Is she gonna go to jail for this?" Lola asked, a vindictive smirk on her face.

"She might…." The copper haired officer replied grimly. "Or at least juvie...for a long time too, given the scope of her crimes…" She looked toward Mr and Mrs Loud, as well as the Talons. "..it's your call, if you want to press charges."

"What do you think, honeybunch?" Trent asked Cynthia, who had just walked over to join them.

"I would like to see her punished for what she put our daughter through…" Cynthia replied, leering at Malora.

"As do we." Rita agreed, Lynn Sr nodding in agreement.

"Rest assured...regardless of whether the law punishes her or not, we will." Mr Lesrec commented, adjusting his monocle.

"What about you, cupcake?" Trent turned his attention to Zanya. "Given that you got the worst of her antics, I think you should have a say in the matter." The zombie girl was silent as she thought about this.

"Just do what you think is best, Zanya." Lucy said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No one will think less of you, regardless of your decision." Stella added.

'Hmmm. How to go about this?' Zanya wondered in her mind. 'She deserves to go to juvie. No doubt. But would that help? It would just give her a place to hide, which is what she's going to want after being exposed like this...that wouldn't have much impact on her…' An idea suddenly occurred to her. She motioned her father and the police woman over to her so they could talk privately and discuss the idea. Malora was on pins and needles as she waited for their verdict, wishing she could just get away from all these glaring, disapproving eyes.

"Hmmm. That's not a bad idea, Zanya...but are you sure you want to do that?" Trent whispered to her just loud enough for the brat to hear, making her even more nervous.

"I'm certain, Daddy." Trent nodded lightly to her before nodding to the cop beside him. She stood up straight and walked over to Malora's parents with a serious expression.

"Mr and Mrs Lesrec, Miss Talon has decided to make your daughter an offer…"

"Then why aren't you asking me?" Malora asked.

"...Miss Talon is willing to drop all charges made against your daughter...but only if she is willing to perform community service for the equivalent amount of time she would spend in a juvenile detention center."

"What!?"

"I think Miss Zanya is being more than generous." Mr Lesrec commented firmly. "I think a little extra work is worth avoiding a black mark, which I add would be well deserved, on your record."

"But….but….but…"

"Would you rather go to prison?" Mrs Lesrec asked.

"...no, Mom."

"I thought not. Officer, my daughter would be fine with accepting Miss Zanya's conditions."

"Very well. It'll take a little finagling at the station, but we should be able to arrange it." The police woman said with the small smile.

"And now we can discuss the nature of your punishment.." Mr Lesrec tapped his chin as he stared pensively at the sky. "Dearest, do you remember that movie role we were trying to get Malora?"

"Ah yes. A shame she won't be able to take it…" His wife responded in a voice of false pity.

"What!? But...I've been waiting for years for a role like that…"

"I don't want to hear it, Malora. You deserve it." Mrs Lesrec snapped furiously. "And we're going to be taking you off that show you're currently on as well."

"You can't do that!" The blonde haired bully screeched.

"We can and will!" Mr Lesrec said in a tone that suggested that was final.

"We will discuss the remaining elements of your punishment back home." Malora's mother said as she grabbed her daughter by the ear and escorted her to the limo, flailing and griping the whole way. The chauffeur opened the door long enough for Malora to be forced into the limo before shutting it, Mrs Lesrec returning to the group after. "Miss Talon, please accept my humblest apologies for the actions of our daughter."

"Mine as well." Mr Lesrec interjected. "Though I know most of what Malora did was unforgivable…."

"Apology accepted, sir, ma'am."

"Pardon me if I'm not so quick to forgive." Trent said sourly.

"Yes. After all, as her parents, you are responsible for raising her properly…" Cynthia added angrily as the officer started to get the crowd to disperse. Malora's parents both looked rather uncomfortable and disheartened.

"Ahem...yes, I suppose we haven't really been around as much as we should, being so busy and all…"

"You should still make time to spend with your child." Lynn Sr said, putting the chain of bratwursts away and pulling the tie from his head.

"Of course. Lynn and I both work, but we do our best to give a little time to all eleven of our children." Rita added.

"ELEVEN!?" The Lesrecs and the Talons all exclaimed.

"Good grief! How do you manage it!?" Mr Lesrec asked in awe.

"It's not easy, but we all take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Together." Lynn Sr explained, putting one arm around his wife, who hugged him in return.

"Well now...if you can find the time to raise THAT many children and still work...then I suppose there's no reason we cannot with just one." Mrs Lesrec said, smiling to the Louds. Mr Lesrec nodded in agreement.

"It will take some adjustments, of course...but I think we'll manage. Although...would you happen to have any...parental pointers you could give in that respect?" He asked, a little sheepishly.

"I think we could offer a few suggestions." Rita said.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the limo, Malora was almost foaming at the mouth. Her plan failed, Zanya and the Louds had gotten the better of her, she had lost everything she treasured (her acting career) and she had to deal with the indignity of community service and punishment at home. And now she had no one else she could turn to. Even her parents had turned against he and sided with that zombie. They chose a monster over their own daughter! '...wait. A monster?' Malora wondered, pausing in the act of tearing up the limo's upholstery in rage. '...that's it! Why didn't I think of him in the first place?' She quickly pulled out her phone and flipped through her contacts until she reached the name Uncle Sigmund. She pressed dial, hoping he picked up quick.

* * *

Many miles away, in the misty moors of Scotland, a hulking being could be seen limping through the dense fog. From a distance, one would think it was a brawny teenage boy, and they would be mostly right. They were built quite strong, they were male and they were in their teens. However, closer inspection would reveal the bull like horns on his head, the hooves instead of feet, and the fur over most of his torso and arms. He was a teenaged minotaur, and he was frightened beyond all imagining. He was covering a bloody wound on his left leg and had several gashes on his arms, chest and shirt. He looked back into the mire to see a tall, humanoid shape pursuing him at a walk, a flowing cape or something like it behind them. The half bull child started crying softly as he started to run; the pain in his leg be darned. He needed to get away. He only got a small distance before he felt something tangle his legs, forcing him to trip and fall onto his face. His legs were held together by a set of chain bolas, far too strong for him to break in his condition. His blood felt like it had turned to ice as he flipped around to face his pursuer. Stepping into his view was a human man; six foot tall, with a slender yet powerful build. His hair was short and dirty yellow, and his eyes were cold and bluish gray. He was wearing a dusty orange, flowing overcoat over a blood red nobleman's coat with a frilly lace cravat. His pants were jet black, as were his boots and gloves. On a bandolier across his chest, he carried a row of wooden stakes. On his back, a crossbow and a longsword. At his side, a sterling silver handgun. On his neck, a golden cross and a wreath of garlic. "Please….don't kill me…." The young minotaur pleaded. "I haven't done anything….." The man didn't respond as he drew his handgun and pointed it at his quarry's head. The terrified young monster's eyes darted around frantically, reting upon a sizable rock just within reach. With all swiftness, he hurled the rock at his hunter. The man's reflexes were incredible and he shot the rock before it could reach him. However, the dust and pebbles from which got into his eyes. He was only blinded for a moment, but in that moment, his prey had vanished, leaving behind the steel bolas. Frowning, the man scanned the surrounding marsh, as the minotaur hid behind a dead tree. Just then, the sound of a telephone ringing rang in the air. The man gazed down at his pocket and the monster teen took the opportunity to dive into the swamp muck, effectively disappearing from his sight. Upset at losing his target, he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Sigmund Lesrec, professional monster hunter." He said quietly into his phone. "State your business." He pauses for a moment, then smiled. "Malora? Why, hello there. How's my favorite niece?"


	16. Chapter 16: Farewell to Calloway

_AN: I know I apologized in the last chapter, but I didn't feel it was really sufficient, so bear with me as I say my peace before getting to the story. My sincerest apologies to everyone for the original ending of the previous chapter. It had crossed the line, was uncalled for, and just plain unacceptable. I would say I don't know what I was thinking, but I wasn't thinking at all. It was entirely unnecessary; Sigmund's evil could be emphasized simply by having him hunting a monster child in the first place. It didn't even fit the tone of the story established so far. So I went and changed it to something a little less terrible. I hope it works alright, and I'm sorry again for upsetting and/or offending anyone. I will endeavor to avoid making the same mistake again, but if I do, don't hesitate to smack me again...or at least call me out on it. Thank you for your time and please do enjoy the story._

* * *

Farewell to Calloway

"I could be better, Uncle…" Malora's voice said over the phone as the monster hunter gathered his chain bolas, quietly cursing the fact his minotaur prey escaped. "Are you busy?"

"Not anymore…" He grumbled. "I mean, never too busy for you. What's the matter?"

"I have a bit of a zombie problem…." Sigmund paused a moment. A zombie problem? Things have been getting a bit boring in his eyes. A nice zombie horde might be a challenge for him.

"Well, you've called the right person, Malora." He said, loading a fresh clip into his gun with a smirk. "What are we talking? A small swarm? A couple hundred? A regular apocalypse?"

"Actually, Uncle Sigmund...it's only one." His smirk faded a bit into confusion. One zombie? What kind of problem was that?

"Is...this zombie a hulking brute destroying the town? A lich of sorts enslaving the populace? The size of a dragon!?"

"...it's a little girl." The monster hunter had to face palm upon hearing that.

"Kids these days…." He growled. "Malora, you don't need my help to deal with a zombie like that. Just destroy the brain and destroy the zombie. It's not that hard."

"But she's really strong...she can bend metal with a few kicks…"

"Hmmm?" Sigmund suddenly sounded vaguely interested again.

"And what's more, she has practically the entire town on her side, my parents included...they don't see her for the monster that she is. Just as a little girl from Grimwood's." Sigmund's eyes flashed when he heard the word Grimwood.

"What did you just say!?" He asked excitedly.

"...a little girl from Grimwood's?"

"...Malora, I will be there within a week." He said with a big grin before he hung up the phone. To him, this was perfect. Who cares about one measly minotaur? He didn't even care much about the zombie Malora was going on about. What he cared about was the fact this zombie apparently came from Grimwood's. He had heard tales about this school for monsters; famous monsters no less. This was his chance to really strike a blow to monster kind; to stop a whole generation of monsters from becoming a threat to humanity. But first...he needed to find this school, and now he had a clue. Seeing no more reason to stick around, turned and started to walk away, headed for civilization.

* * *

Many, many miles away, over at Calloway's Military School, the Colonel and the cadets were all hard at work policing the grounds and making sure everything was ship shape, so to speak. This wasn't unusual for the school; after all, a clean academy was an efficient academy. However, Colonel Calloway was going over the minutest of details with a fine toothed comb. He was making sure everything was by the book today. Why? Because he was expecting an important visitor today. The inspector who would determine the fact of his school was going to be coming by to inspect everything. He wasn't leaving anything to chance. "Grunt, straighten out those sandbags! Jamal, I want an inventory on everything in the pantry! Tug, fine job shining those garbage cans! Mel, you and Baxter make sure the front gate doesn't squeak! Simon, are you sure you don't need help with that basin!?"

"Urgh….nah, I got it, Colonel." Simon responded, pulling a large, circular tub along the grounds. It was originally a part of the obstacle course; swing over the water hole or fall in and get wet. Why Simon was moving it, the Colonel wasn't sure. He didn't even ask him to do it. On a different kind of day, he would have been suspicious of his actions. Today, though, his mind was so all over the place that he didn't have the space for suspicion.

"Wow. He's really pushing you all today." Lincoln commented from the little hole in the hedge wall, his curiosity having gotten the better of him. "What's the occasion?"

"We're expecting some big inspection today." Tug explained as he finished shining one last garbage can. "And the Colonel's really stressing out over it. Said it could mean the difference between Calloway staying open, or closing for good."

"Really? Yikes...I hope you all do well."

"Thanks Lincoln...say, while you're there, can I talk to you a moment?"

"Sure, Tug, but won't the Colonel mind?"

"Not if I look like I'm working." Tug moved one of the already shined cans over and looked like he was trying to buff out a particularly stubborn spot. "I just wanted to say...I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" Lincoln asked in genuine confusion.

"For giving you such a hard time, for starters." Tug said, though his words didn't do anything to help Lincoln's confusion. "And also...when Simon snuck into Grimwood's…"

"So it was him…" Lincoln said with a frown.

"Yeah...the Colonel busted him the day after."

"Serves him right. But that wasn't your fault, Tug."

"Actually...it was. I sent him…" The blonde haired cadet admitted, looking away from him.

"You sent him? But why?" The look on the middle Loud's face was a combination of hurt and befuddlement.

"...jealousy." He slowly looked back to Lincoln. "I saw how close you and Sibella were getting and it made me really jealous...truth is, I really like her, Lincoln. I never told her...never had the nerve...but I do."

"I see…"

"Every time I saw the two of you together, the way she looked at you, teased you, the way you made her laugh….it just infuriated me...so when Simon told me he could make you go away-"

"Wait. He approached you about this?" Lincoln asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. And after he told me that, I gave him the go ahead…second biggest mistake I ever made." The cadet admitted, looking toward the ground at his shoes. Lincoln felt he didn't need to ask what the biggest mistake was.

"It sounds to me like Simon was using you as an excuse." The white haired loud deduced.

"Say what?"

"I won't say I know the guy all that well, but from what I've seen and heard of the guy, he seems really underhanded and deceitful. The kind who would start trouble just for the fun of it. He could probably tell how jealous you were getting and used that to his advantage to get you to encourage him over. He could sneak around, cause mischief and vandalism, and pin it on someone else. His first choice was me, obviously...but he had you as an extra safety cushion." Lincoln explained to a shocked Tug. "If things went south for him, like it did, he could tell everyone you told him to do it."

"Which he did….that conniving…." Tug growled, tossing his rag into the can he was 'shining'. He took a moment to regain himself before continuing. "...Well, whether he played me for a patsy or not, I did still have a hand in it. It was unacceptable, especially for a Calloway Cadet, and for that, I apologize Lincoln."

"Water under the bridge, Tug. I know how jealousy can be. Heh. One time, my closest friends and I got jealous of one another because of a new girl at school. She wanted to hang out with us and we all thought she had a crush on one of us." Tug chuckled a little bit as Lincoln related the story. "It got so bad, we nearly started a four way brawl in the cafeteria over her. Thank goodness she set us straight and forgave us for the fools we were, or not only would we have lost our own friendship, but hers as well."

"The heart can make a guy do crazy things, huh?"

"Exactly." Lincoln replied with a half chuckle. "Friends?" He held his hand out to the cadet.

"Friends." Tug replied, accepting the Loud boy's hand of friendship. From the front gate, Baxter was watching them with a small smile. To him, it looked like Tug was going to be alright. He'd still need to work to rebuild his rep with the others, but he was working on it. "I better get moving before the Colonel comes look. Thanks for listening, Lincoln...and if you see Sibella, can you tell her I'd like to talk to her after the inspection?"

"Sure thing. Again. hope it all goes well." The one son said before he disappeared behind the hedges. He made his way down to the main gate heading into the school grounds, humming to himself. He was going to take a walk to the nearby town to get a few things for a little gift he was making for his family, with the help and consent of Miss Grimwood, of course. As he stepped out of the gate, he spotted an official looking limo pull up in front of Calloway's. From the back of the limo, a very short, balding man with a big nose stepped out, carrying a briefcase and a clipboard. He had a calm look about him as he adjusted his spectacles and walked up the way toward the academy. Lincoln noticed he dropped something as he walked. Being the nice guy he was, he ran over to get it from him. It was a wallet. "Excuse me. Sir!" Lincoln called out, causing the little man to pause and look his way. "You dropped this." He said, running over to return it to him.

"Oh! Thank you so much, young man." The man tucked his clipboard under his arm and reclaimed his wallet. "It would have been most embarrassing to lose that again." He added with a chuckle.

"You're welcome." Lincoln replied.

"Such a polite young man. Are you a student here?"

"No sir. I'm an exchange student at Miss Grimwood's next door."

"Really? I thought it was an all girls school. We really need to update our information…" He looked in his briefcase to check out a dossier inside. "Well, in that case, perhaps you can give me your opinion real quick, as a disinterested third party."

"On what?"

"On Colonel Calloway, headmaster of this military school."

"Oh. Well, I don't know him personally, but I have seen and heard him from time to time." Lincoln admitted, which was kind of true. He didn't know the Colonel all that well personally. "And from what I can see and hear, he runs a strict school."

"You don't say?"

"Yes sir. When he brought his students over for our annual volleyball game, they marched in formation and even recited the Calloway Code before they warned up." The inspector hummed a bit as he took notes. "And with how close the schools are, we can occasionally hear him as he drills them and puts them through their daily exercises. Sounds like a take no nonsense kind of guy."

"I see. I see."

"But by the same token, as tough as he is, he's a gentleman too, judging by what I saw when he was talking to Miss Grimwood." Lincoln continued. "And the cadets aren't afraid to go to him with their problems, if they have any." The little man nodded a bit.

"My my. You've seemed to pick up a lot about him through observation." He pointed out. "You must be an observant young man."

"Thank you, sir."

"No. Thank you, Mr…?"

"Loud. Lincoln Loud."

"Stan Gerkhin." Stan replied, shaking Lincoln's hand. "Thank you, Mr Loud, for your opinion."

"Glad to help, Mr Gerkhin." Lincoln smiled as the inspector waved to him and continued on his way. He hoped his kind words got Calloway off to a good start as he went on his own way, headed toward town.

* * *

Back inside the academy grounds, the cadet and their superior officer were putting the finishing touches on the grounds, while Simon was carrying a large stack of cardboard and a few buckets of paint along. Everyone was too busy to really notice him. Colonel Calloway almost didn't even notice when Stan stepped right up behind him as he closely inspected the Cadets' work. "Hmmmmm. Fine work, boys."

"I quite agree. Very thorough." The little inspector said. The middle aged colonel nearly jumped out of his skin, quickly instructing the boys to line up in attention.

"Ahem. Inspector Gerkhin. A pleasure to see you, sir." Colonel Calloway said with a salute.

"Colonel Calloway. Pleased to see you again as well." Stan replied pleasantly, shaking his hand. "I see you have things under control here."

"Of course. We go by the book here at Calloway."

"Wonderful. Now let's see….according to this register, you have seven students under your care. Would you be so kind as to introduce me?"

"Of course." The colonel replied. "First in line, Cadet Tug, the squad leader." Stan smiled as he shook the uniformed boy's hand. "And here is Grunt." The big and brawny cadet saluted the inspector who was just a hair shorter than he was. "Miguel….Jamal…..Baxter….Mel…." Each cadet in turn had their opportunity to greet Stan, though Mel just stared at him blankly. "And finally….." Colonel Calloway paused, noticing someone was absent from the line.

"Hmmm. Curious. Someone is missing."

"Ahem. Perhaps he was working so hard, Cadet Simon didn't hear me." The headmaster tugged at his collar a bit, chuckling nervously. The cadets knew he was just taking out of his rear, but the inspector didn't.

"Well, no need to disturb him in this case. We can catch up with him later." Mr Gerkhin said, taking a few notes. "Now, perhaps you can show me around while describing the curriculum?"

"Of course. As you were cadets." The colonel ordered, waiting until Stan's back was turned before he mouthed to Tug "Find Simon." As soon as the two grownups began their inspection of the barracks, the cadets scattered to find the missing scallywag. It takes about an hour for two adults to get through the barracks, the storeroom, the classroom and the Colonel's office, the headmaster purposely taking his time answering Stan's questions to give his cadets time to find Simon. He didn't seem to mind though, being quite patient with the Colonel. Meanwhile, the boys were frantically searching for Simon. They checked the grounds over from top to bottom, checked the classrooms before the adults came around, the barracks after they left, everywhere. They didn't get their first clue as to his location till they arrived at the mess hall.

"Hey….the doors are locked." Miguel said as he tried to open the doors.

"That's not normal…" Mel commented flatly.

"Think he's in there?" Tug asked with a frown. Jamal kneels down, looking at the dirt ground.

"I'd say so...it looks like he dragged that basin this way..." The tallest of the cadets said, indicating the path across the grounds.

"What is he up to…?" Tug ponderer quietly. "Think we can get this open?"

"Easy." Grunt smirked, giving himself some running room.

"Without breaking it down!" Tug exclaimed, waving his hands at his overweight friend.

"Oh. That's not so easy."

"Allow me." Mel said, stepping forward and looking at the double doors. After a moment's thought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Calloway School ID. He slips the card between the two doors and fiddles around with it for a couple seconds before they all heard a satisfying click.

"Whoa. That was cool, Mel." Miguel said with a smile.

"Thanks. Pop was a locksmith. He knew all the tricks." Mel explained, once more the ghost of a smile appearing on his face.

"Good work, big guy." Tug told him, patting him on the back before they all barged into the mess hall. What they saw would have easily caused Colonel Calloway to have a conniption fit. The large basin Simon had moved was now dominating the center of the eating room, filled with bubbly water. Soothing music was being played by two radios. Sitting inside the bubbling tub was Simon, in a pair of swim trunks, flanked by two cardboard cutouts of swimsuit clad girls. The six boys just stared in disbelief at him as he smirked back at them. "I don't believe this…" Tug groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Have you lost your mind?" A shocked Jamal asked.

"Are you TRYING to make Colonel Calloway burst a blood vessel?" Baxter asked in astonishment.

"You guys are just jealous you didn't think of it first." Simon said with a scoff. "As for what I'm trying to do, I want this dump shut down."

"WHAT!?"

"You heard me. I hate it here. All these dang rules and regulations...guy can't have any fun here. Only reason I'm here is because my parents made me come here. I get this place shut down and the Colonel fired, I get to go home. Simple as that."

"But what about us?" Miguel asked. "We may not love it here, but it's like home to us."

"Not to mention the friends we made here." Mel commented.

"Ask me if I care." Simon said, throwing his arms up in a 'who gives a monkey's' way. "In life, I gotta look out for number one, and that's me."

"Grunt! Mel! Get him out of there!" Tug barked. "Don't worry about being gentle!" Neither planned to be as they circled around to grab the miscreant's arms.

"Hey! Let go! Get your hands off me!" Simon yelled as she squirmed and thrashed as his fellow cadets tried to drag him away. However, they were too late. Colonel Calloway and Inspector Gerhkin were already in the door, shocked looks on their faces. It was difficult to tell if the Colonel's face wanted to go pale or go red with absolute rage. As if to twist the knife deeper, Simon shouted. "'ey Colonel! You got my pizza or what?"

"Get him out of here!" Jamal hissed as the two strong arm boys managed to drag the selfish cadet away.

"Cadet Simon, I presume?" Stan asked, adjusting his glasses a bit as the other cadets started clearing out Simon's makeshift hot tub.

"I'm sorry to say yes…" Colonel Calloway replied, utterly embarrassed. The little inspector nodded as he quietly continued to inspect the mess hall and then through into the kitchen. 'We're doomed…' He thought, covering his eyes with his hand.

"We're sorry Colonel…" Jamal said, giving his superior a weak salute. "We weren't quick enough…"

"No, Jamal...it's not any of your faults…" The Colonel said with a sigh. "You did your best...I should have had Cadet Simon working where we could keep an eye on him….but what's done is done….and we can only hope for the best…" He added, sounding like he was without hope himself. Jamal and Tug both put their hands on his shoulders in a sign of comfort, which didn't really help, but the old colonel did appreciate.

* * *

A couple minutes later, the seven boys were all lined up outside in the grounds, Simon still in his swim trunks since he refused to get into uniform, much to the consternation of his fellow cadets and teacher. All (except for Simon) were tensely waiting for Stan's final word. Not far away, from the hedges, Lincoln was anxiously awaiting the good word, a plastic shopping bag to one side and the Grimwood girls on the other, just as on edge as the Cadets. Soon enough, the tiny man approached the Colonel and saluted him. "Colonel Calloway, thank you so much for the tour of your facility and the opportunity to meet you and your students."

"It's been a pleasure, Mr Gerhkin." The Colonel replied, trying to maintain a neutral voice.

"My inspection has been most enlightening. You have quite the efficient school, Colonel." Stan commented as he reviewed his notes. "And a group of good cadets as well. However, I regret to inform you that, from what I have seen during my inspection, I must recommend that this school be closed." Colonel Calloway lowered his head, knowing this was coming, the original five cadets looked stunned and depressed, a tear dribbled down Mel's cheek, and Simon looked positively gleeful. Over on the Grimwood side, Lincoln's mouth hung open while the girls were all varying degrees of saddened, with Tanis even crying softly. The only one who didn't seem sad was Milly, who was still frowning from how unfair it sounded.

"Sir, if this is about what happened in the mess hall…" Tug suddenly said out of turn. "...it wasn't the Colonel's fault...It was ours…"

"Beg pardon? Oh! Oh no, Cadet Tug. I didn't even factor that into my report." Stan admitted with a chuckle, surprising everyone involved.

"You didn't?"

"Certainly not. Every time I inspect a base or military school, there's always one who tries to put their superiors or fellows in a bad light. Hehe. One time, I had a full group of boys try and pretend they were crazy by running out to greet me in full evening gowns." He explained, laughing softly. "Like I never saw that show before...anyway, it had nothing to do with what I saw, Cadet, but with practicality." He pulled a map of the area and opened it up to show them. "You see, this is where we are. We're planning to build the new facility up here." He pointed at a larger section a few miles away. "As you can see, it's just not practical to have an academy this small so close to a much larger facility."

"I see…Well, thank you for your time, Mr Gerhkin…" The Colonel said sadly, reaching out to shake his hand.

"yeah! Thanks, pickle puss!" Simon shouted disrespectfully, getting elbowed by Miguel and Baxter in response.

"Excuse me, Mr Gerhkin…" Lincoln spoke up, unable to keep quiet any longer, getting everyone's attention.

"Oh, hello again, Mr Loud. Can I help you?" Stan asked politely as he walked over to the hedge along with Colonel Calloway.

"Won't you reconsider? I mean, the Colonel does a fantastic job here, like I told you earlier. It just seems unfair to fire him after all he's done for the school and the cadets." Lincoln pleaded, to the surprise of the old colonel and most of the boys behind them.

"Fire him? Who said anything about firing him?" Stan asked in surprise. "Oh no no no, dear boy. Yes, we plan to close the school, but we aren't firing him. In fact, from what I've seen and your glowing recommendation earlier, I am going to recommend they make Colonel Calloway the headmaster of this new facility." The superior officer of the school gently tapped the side of his head, uncertain if he heard correctly.

"Did...you just say…?"

"Yes sir, Colonel. If I have my way, you will be the new head of the New Calloway Military School." The little man said with a smile. "It is a larger facility, yes, and it is a co-ed academy, but I suspect you can handle it."

"I...don't know what to say...thank you, Mr Gerhkin….but what about my Cadets?"

"They are welcome to transfer over as well. The more the merrier, they say." Stan said, holding a hand out to the Colonel. "So what do you say?"

"I say...of course!" He replied, happier than he had been in a long time, shaking the tiny man's hand. Tug, Miguel, Grunt, Jamal, Baxter, Mel, Lincoln and the Grimwood girls all applauded, with most of the girls cheering in celebration as well. Simon, on the other hand, just grumbled to himself, his plan once more an utter failure.

"Wonderful. Well, I suppose my work here is done. You'll be receiving the paperwork for transfer in a few days time. I trust you know what to do. After all, the army does love their paperwork, am I right?" He jested with a chuckle, the Colonel giving a rare one in return. "I bid you all a fond farewell and hope we can meet again soon."

"Good day, Mr Gerhkin!" Colonel Calloway, the original five Cadets and Mel all said together, waving as the little man departed from their school. Once he was gone, Colonel Calloway turned on his heel suddenly, looking right at Lincoln. With as sternly as he was looking at him, Lincoln felt he may have crossed a line.

"Er….I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn, Colonel, but…."

"Thank you, Lincoln." He said, interrupting the young man during his apology. "You aren't even a cadet here, and yet you were willing to try and help us. I truly appreciate it."

"Oh...no problem, Colonel. I mean, I like you guys. Well, most of you…" He glanced over at the sulking Simon. "...and I didn't want to see you guys hung out to dry."

"Maybe you should try minding your own business." Simon spat.

"Shut it, Simon.." Tug whispered warningly. "We're all angry enough at you as it stands…"

"That guy just seems to want to cause trouble….are you sure you want him coming with you?" Lincoln asked quietly, glaring at Simon.

"Don't you worry about him, Mr Loud. I have an idea…" Colonel Calloway said with a bit of a smirk. "Dismissed, cadets." He announced before striding toward his office. Free to break ranks, Tug and his friends ran over to the hedge where Lincoln was, leaving Simon by his lonesome.

"A glowing recommendation?" Tug asked with a smirk.

"Hey, Mr Gerhkin asked me for my opinion as an outsider and I gave him my honest opinion." Lincoln replied with a shrug.

"I wasn't complaining, dude. In fact, I'm grateful." Tug added.

"As are we." Jamal agreed. "It will be a shame to leave the old place, but at least we'll still be together."

"Yeah. What'll be the difference, right?" Grunt asked with a happy shrug.

"Other than being a bigger school with girls too." Mel interjected.

"yes, well, that's a good difference, big guy." Miguel said with a light blush.

"What we're trying to say is...thanks a lot, Lincoln." Baxter said, standing on his toes to shake Lincoln's hand.

"Glad to help." He replied before looking at Tug. "Oh, remember what you asked me earlier?" The blonde haired boy thought for a moment, but then his eyes widened as he realized what Lincoln was talking about.

"...Guys, can I have a couple minutes alone…?"

"Of course, man." Jamal said, motioning the others to follow him. They had work to do. Once they were alone, Lincoln stepped aside to let Sibella stand where the two could talk, picked up his back and had the other girls follow him back to the school.

"You had something you wanted to say to me?" Sibella asked softly and curiously. Tug blushed lightly, this talk suddenly becoming much harder than it needed to be.

"Y...Yes. First off, I wanted to apologize again for what happened with Cadet Simon…"

"You mean the one who broke into Grimwood's? Tug, you already apologized for that."

"Yes, but I didn't apologize for everything, Sibella...there's something about that you don't know…" He was starting to sweat, feeling a bit sick to his stomach.

"What is it? What's the matter?" Sibella asked in concern.

"...I was responsible for sending him…"

"What?"

"I was responsible...for him going to your school." Tug confessed, feeling much worse now than when he told Lincoln.

"But...why Tug?"

"I was jealous of Lincoln...I know it sounds stupid, and it is, but it's true." He said sadly. "I got super jealous...Simon could tell and he suggested that he could deal with Lincoln...and I foolishly went with it…" He couldn't look in her eyes, suspecting she was probably furious with him.

"Jealous of Lincoln?" Sibella asked, her tone impossible to determine. This was it. The hardest part for Tug. He took a deep breath before he finally said.

"I like you, Sibella...like, really like you…" He explained quietly. "But I was too much of a coward to say so...and rather than discuss the matter, I acted cowardly toward Lincoln too...I messed up, bad." He admitted, fighting the urge to run away and cry. "I know you probably hate me after hearing that...but even if you didn't, I know I don't deserve a girl like you…."

"Tug. Look at me." Sibella said firmly, the boy still unable to ascertain how she really felt. He slowly looked up into her eyes, shocked to find sympathy in her eyes, not anger and hatred like he expected. "Listen to me, Tug. What you did was incredibly selfish and wrong."

"I know…" He responded quietly.

"...but I couldn't ever hate you, Tug." She admitted to him, surprising him yet again. "I know you aren't a bad person. I've known you for a long time. But even good guys can make bad decisions when jealousy gets involved. I am very upset with you...but I do appreciate the fact you came clean directly to me in the end." The boy in uniform nodded slightly as he listened to her, still one step away from crying. "And if I may be honest...I do wish you told me how you felt sooner...if you had...perhaps…" Sibella suddenly became interested in a leaf she was squeezing with her fingers, if only to give her time to pick her words.

"...You don't need to say anything more." Tug said sadly, his tears landing on the leaves of the hedge. "...we can still be friends though, right…?"

"Of course, Tug." Sibella said, a small smile. "Of course we can still be friends. You, me, Lincoln, all of us." Tug gave her a very weak smile in return. As much as he really hoped he still had a chance at a relationship with her, things still went much better than he expected. He had expected Sibella to never want to see or speak to him again. But knowing Sibella didn't hate him. Still wished to be friends with him, idiot though he was. He could live with that.

* * *

Over the next few days, the Cadets were all working hard to get ready for the big move. Even Simon. As upset as he was that he didn't get what he wanted, he was warming up to the idea of going to a co-ed academy. His fellow students, however, weren't as eager to see him come along. No doubt he would bring trouble right along with him. However, there was nothing they could do. The most they could hope for was that they could somehow reign him in. WIth their bags all packed, it was time for them to line up for the last time at the Old Calloway School. "Cadets, we are about to embark upon a new adventure." Colonel Calloway said, hardly able to contain his own excitement. "At a new school. Adjustments will need to be made, this is true. However, one thing will never change, whether we're at the new or old Calloway School. The Calloway Code, and our adherence to it. Right?"

"Affirmative!" The cadets, minus Simon, all declared.

"So when we're at the new school, I expect you all to be on your best behavior. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Just then, two buses pulled up in front on the soon to be closed school. One said New Calloway on it. The other said Stonewall.

"Hey...why are there two buses?" Simon asked. "There isn't that many of us…"

"That second bus is headed for the Stonewall Academy." The Colonel explained. Most of the cadets gulped. Calloway's would be considered a summer camp compared to the Stonewall Academy. It's where the most difficult of children were sent; they enter delinquents and emerge as disciplined as soldiers. It was one step away from actually being in the army. "That bus is meant for you, Simon."

"...what!?" Simon asked, dropping his bags.

"You're not going to New Calloway, Simon. You're being sent to Stonewall." Colonel Calloway repeated. "The paperwork has already been taken care of."

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Wait a minute...my parents would never…."

"Actually, cadet, your parents have signed the forms as well. A requirement." He added, donning a similar smug smile to when he caught the neer do well red handed. "They seem to agree with me that you deserve it."

"But...but...you can't do that…" Simon stammered before Grunt and Mel grabbed him by each arm.

"Farewell, Cadet Simon." Colonel Calloway said with a wave as the two strongest boys dragged him to the bus, Baxter carrying his bags. The little cadet tossed his bags aboard before Simon himself was shoved in, the door shutting behind him. The bus started up quickly and started to drive off just as Simon got to his feet and started banging on the glass door, begging to be let out.

"Don't forget to write." Mel commented as he watched the bus drive away, giving his two friends beside him a high five.

"There's one guy I won't miss." Lincoln said as he, the Grimwood girls, Shaggy, Scooby, Scrappy and Miss Grimwood approached the three of them, ready to say their goodbyes.

"Ah. Miss Grimwood." Colonel Calloway said with a soft smile.

"I must say, I am very sorry to see you go, Colonel. It was always a pleasure to have you over."

"We've had our differences in the past, Miss Grimwood, but it has been interesting living next door to your school." He said as the mystical headmistress hugged him, carefully returning the hug. "But it's not like we will never see each other again. We're only a few miles away. We can visit anytime, and continue our annual volleyball game."

"I'm sure the girl's would like that." Miss Grimwood said as she turned to see the girl's each saying goodbye to the cadets in their own way: Phantasma and Tanis were giving hugs to Baxter and Jamal, Elsa and Winnie were shaking Mel and Grunt's hands, Gosuki was careful not to shake Miguel as she shook his hand, and Gila and Milly bid them all farewell from a distance.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." Sibella said to Tug, standing beside Lincoln.

"Yeah. It was good getting to know the both of you." Tug replied with a smile. "Even though I know we can come back anytime we have the time."

"It was good getting to know you too, Tug. I'm glad we were able to get past everything and become friends." Lincoln said, shaking his hand firmly.

"Me too." He responded.

"Keep in touch, Tug." Sibella told him, giving him a little hug, which he returned.

"You too. Both of you." He said.

"Like, happy trails, boys!" Shaggy called out as the girls and boys finished saying their farewells and started boarding the bus.

"Runril re reet ragain!" Scooby added with a wave.

"See ya around, boys!" Scrappy called out. The cadets and Colonel Calloway all wave one last time as the bus started to pull away, leaving behind the old academy and Grimwood school, as well as some good friends for life.


	17. Chapter 17: Open House

_AN: Oh boy. I thought Bonding in Royal Woods was tough. This was an absolute beast to get through. with all the characters to interact with one another, plus a few story points I had almost forgotten about. Here's hoping you all enjoy it. But before we start, DLC requested that I answer a question he had posed in the review section. I have already decided Sigmund's fate. I won't say anything further because of spoilers, but I will say that it probably won't be the same as in Tokyo Ghoul (as I am unfamiliar with the anime)._

* * *

Open House

Grimwood's Finishing School was positively abuzz with activity today. All classes were cancelled, long tables were set up on the grounds, Miss Grimwood, Shaggy, Scooby and her cephalopod butler were hard at work in the kitchen, and the students and Scrappy were all busy decorating the grounds with spooky decorations and jack o lanterns. Today was All Hallows Eve, aka Halloween, the biggest time of the year at Grimwood's. It was the time when the parents of the students were all invited to the grand Open House. Like all the girl's, Lincoln Loud was excited at the chance to see his family, as he had trouble finding a chance to visit them on Sundays. However, he was also incredibly anxious. It would be the first time he met the girls' parents, who were some of the most famous and powerful monsters of all time. He was especially worried about meeting Sibella's father, Count Dracula. He had a feeling that the Count would already view him with suspicion, being a boy and a mortal, but throw in the fact that both the white haired loud and the lovely vampiress had feelings for one another, and Lincoln may as well paint a target on his forehead. The young man shook his head to clear it of those nagging thoughts as he looked himself in the mirror. "Calm down, Lincoln. You'll be fine. Everything's going to be fine." He repeated to himself, taking a few deep breaths before he started to get ready. He pulled out the costume he had planned for this year; that of a secret agent. He threw on the costume tux, the tie, and shined up his best shoes before checking himself out in the looking glass once more. He smirked a bit. "The names Loud. Lincoln Loud." He said in a deep voice, winking to his reflection.

"Lincoln? Are you in there?" Came the voice of Phanty at the door.

"Come in." He responded, still using the deep voice. Phantasma phased her way through the door, looking over at him.

"Our guests will be arriving any minute and….wow. Looking fancy, Linky, but don't you think you're a little overdressed?"

"Overdressed? This is my costume."

"Costume? ...oh yeah! It completely slipped my mind that humans wore costumes on Halloween." Phanty giggled as she gently tapped her knuckles on her head. "Silly me. So, what are you supposed to be?"

"The names Loud." Lincoln repeated in his spy voice. "Lincoln Loud, of her majesty's secret service." The ghostly girl just looked at him for a moment before she burst out giggling again. "...am I really that bad…?"

"No. You're that adorable." She replied, floating over to squeeze him and kiss him on the cheek. "Hehehe. See you outside soon." She told him before she flew right through the wall. Lincoln chuckled a bit as he put the finishing touches on his costume.

"Alright...showtime." He said to himself, taking a deep breath before leaving his room...and running right into Matches. "Oh, come on…" He groaned as the little dragon turned red at the sight of him. "...seriously?" He asked no one in particular before he ran like the wind. Fortunately for him, the firebreather didn't seem interested in chasing him; just scaring him for grins. Lincoln was already in the entrance hall when he finally stopped running, pausing to catch his breath. "I swear...I should use the fire proofing spell before leaving my room…" He gasped, glancing up at his hair, which was a mess now. "...of course." He sighed, but just then, Miss Grimwood's helping hand floated over and helped him comb his hair back to the way it was. "Thanks," Lincoln told it, giving a thumbs up which it returned. With his costume intact and his hair looking good, the middle Loud strode right outside. Taking one look around, he started to feel a little awkward, being the only one in costume. Even Miss Grimwood was wearing something similar to what she always wore.

"Lincoln! There you are." Tanis called out, motioning him to come over to where she and Winnie had just finished laying out the refreshments. "Um….why the suit, Lincoln?"

"Isn't it obvious, Tanis?" The little werewolf asked, hopping over beside Lincoln. "Linc here is looking to impress a certain someone. Eh?" She asked with a wink, nudging Lincoln in the ribs. The white haired boy blushed bright red as both girls started giggling. In truth, Winnie wasn't that far off. It wasn't his primary intention...but if he could impress Sibella and her father, that would be nice too.

"Actually...it's just my Halloween co-"

"hehe. Yeah, I know. I'm just messin' with you, buddy." Winnie interrupted him, nudging him again. "But if it helps, you look good."

"Thanks Winnie." Lincoln replied, looking around. None of the parents had arrived yet, but Shaggy and the Doo's had just exited the house. Shaggy was wearing a suit of armor, while Scooby was disguised as his faithful steed. Scrappy, on the other hand, looked less than enthusiastic about his costume choice: a sheep. Lincoln stifled a laugh at the poor pup's expense as the trio approached him.

"Like, Happy Halloween. Nice costume, Mister Loud." Shaggy said, chuckling a bit.

"Thank you, Sir Shaggy Rogers. Your costumes are most excellent." Lincoln replied with his spy voice.

"Rooking rorward ro reeting reveryone?" Scooby asked, shifting his saddle a bit.

"Yeah, but I'm also pretty nervous."

"You shoulda seen us last year." Shaggy commented. "We coulda broke some land speed records. Hahahaha." Lincoln laughed softly along with the scruffy adult, feeling a little more at ease. It was then the young man felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced to his right and saw a large, powerful, bandaged up hand upon it. He gulped a bit, his eyes following the hand up the arm to the fully grown mummy standing right behind and beside him. "Like, hi there, Mister Mummy."

"Hello, Mister Rogers. Mister Doo. Mister Doo." The mummy replied in a soft, rough voice. "And you must be Lincoln. My daughter has told me a lot about you."

"H...H...Hello." Lincoln said nervously, looking right into where the eyes should be. With all the wrappings and it being evening, it was too difficult to see them.

"She tells me you've been really nice to her and even look out for her, like the big brother she often refers to you as." The mummy continued, a smile appearing among his bandages.

"Well, I try. And she looks out for me too, just like a little sister..." Lincoln babbled in worry, internally smacking himself for saying that. Fortunately for him, the ancient monster chuckled, patting his shoulder.

"You're alright kid." He said before moving on to speak Miss Grimwood. The human boy sighed in relief before he found himself cast in a shadow. He looks right up to see a creature closely resembling Frankenstein's monster.

"Gulp...hello….Frankenteen Senior, I presume?"

"Indeed." He responded, in a calm, droning kinda voice that sounded like a classic monster movie actor whose name escaped Lincoln at the time. "And you're Lincoln Loud, yes?" The boy nodded, feeling quite small and insignificant compared to the towering man before him. "A pleasure to meet you. Elsa says you've been a good friend and gentleman toward her." He continued, holding a hand out to him.

"A p..p..pleasure, Mr Frankenteen." Lincoln said, taking his hand. When the hulking monster shook his hand, he shook all of him, leaving him a little scrambled when he put him down.

"Dear me...I do hope there was no harm done...I forget my own strength sometimes." He said to Lincoln, sounding pretty concerned.

"N..n...no harm done, sir. Just...a bit shaken….not stirred…" Lincoln replied in his confusion. Frankenteen Senior chuckled a bit at that.

"Good one. Anyroad, it was marvelous to meet you." He stomped off to look for his daughter as Lincoln stumbled his own way along. A pair of strong, furry hands take hold of him before he could fall over, helping him reorient himself.

"Thanks…."

"Anytime, kid." Came the raspy voice of the Wolfman, as Lincoln was quick to notice. "Lincoln Loud, right?"

"Y….Y...Yes, sir."

"Ah, drop the sir stuff. I'm the Wolfman, not sir. Especially to Winnie's sports buddy." The werewolf said with a smirk to Lincoln.

"Sports buddy? I mean, Winnie and I play a lot, but I'm nowhere near her league." Lincoln said.

"Heh. Maybe not, but you keep on trying, and we both respect that." The man sized wolf told him. "Plus, you've been a good friend to her and the others, and I respect that even more."

"The same goes for my dear Phanty." Said a trenchcoated specter with the voice of a rough voice Peter Lorre. "She thinks most highly of you, Mr Loud."

"Hehe. Thanks. They've all been the greatest of friends to me." Lincoln said with a smile, calming down significantly.

"Particularly my Sibella, yes?" And Lincoln's knees immediately turned to jelly at sound of Count Dracula's voice. "Would you gentlemen excuse us for a moment? We need to have a private chat."

"Of course, Count." Wolfman said with a shrug.

'Don't leave me…' A sweating, frightened Lincoln thought as the vampire led him slightly away from the crowd and the werewolf and phantom went off to the refreshment stand. "G...G….Greetings, Mr Count Dracula….sir…." He said with a trembling voice. Dracula smirked a bit, taking a little delight in Lincoln's fear.

"Good evening, Lincoln Loud. As I have just said, my daughter has told me a lot about you." He knelt down in front of Lincoln, placing a hand on his shoulder and looking him in the eyes. "Told me how you've been the nicest boy she ever met. Always considerate, courteous and charming…" His voice was calm and he had a warm smile on his face, which helped put Lincoln at ease. "...especially charming. She's told me much about how helpful you are, and such an eager student during your...private magic lessons." His smile was quickly fading into something of a scowl, his hand going to his collar and gripping it tightly. "She's told me how much she cares about you, Lincoln Loud...very, very much…" He lifted the young man off the ground, forcing him to meet his piercing, angry gaze. "So, I feel it is only fair to warn you...if you dare to hurt my little Sibella, in ANY way, shape or form….you are going to have a VERY bat time here….Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir…." Lincoln squeaked fearfully.

"I could say the same for you, if you don't get your hands off my son this instant!" Dracula and Lincoln both turned their heads to the source of the voice. At first, the vampire was angry, but then he himself was a little scared. Standing before him, dressed as an amazon warrior princess, was Rita Loud, glaring at the vampire without a trace of fear in her. Dracula may be a powerful vampire, but even he knew better than to mess with an angry mother. He quickly dropped Lincoln, holding his hands between himself and the furious Rita.

"But of course, madam...I was...just make sure the young man and I have...an understanding…" The Count told her, an uneasy smile on his face. Rita just growled at him for a moment before running to her scared witless son.

"Lincoln, are you alright, darling?" She asked him after giving him a comforting hug.

"Ye….Yes mom." He replied quietly, close to tears.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No...no he didn't.." Lincoln said, his nerves slowly steadying.

"Why don't you go see your sisters, Lincoln? They're really looking forward to seeing you." Rita said, after giving him a kiss on the forehead. "And then go enjoy yourself with your friends." He nodded nervously with a small smile as Rita sent him on his way toward his sister. Then, she turned her vengeful gaze to Dracula.

"M...Mrs Loud, you have to understand...Sibella is my only daughter. My pride and joy. It is just in a father's nature to protect his daughter…"

"I do understand, Count." Rita replied calmly with a nod. "And by the same token, Lincoln is my only son, and it is in a mother's nature to protect her son. So understand when I say, as a mother and a dental assistant...if I see you put your hands on my little boy again…." She got right up in his face, her voice low and threatening. "…I will rip out your fangs and use them as earrings."

'...Message received, loud and clear."

"Good." The Loud matriarch said, backing away from him and smiling. "Glad we could clear that up."

* * *

Meanwhile, over by the front gate of Grimwood's Finishing School, seven of the ten Loud sisters were waiting for either their brother or mother to return, a few of them fearfully. Leni, dressed as Calamity Jane, was looking up at the gargoyles on the gate, who were looking right back at her. Lola, dressed to look like a jar of jelly, was clinging to Lana, dressed as a jar of peanut butter, who was looking around at all the spooky sights grinning. Lucy felt right at home, a calm smile on her face as she adjusted her Griselda dress a little. Lisa, in a robot costume, put on a brave front, but her knees were knocking under her chassis. Lynn Jr just grinned as she waited, dressed as Joan of Arc. Luna was doing her best to comfort her frightened sisters, dressed as a member of Smooch. "This place is so creepy…" Lola said quietly.

"It's perfect…" Lucy said with a happy sigh.

"I think those stone thingies are watching us…." A nervous Leni reported.

"Now calm down, sisters. Every little thing is gonna be alright." Luna said calmly. "I mean, Mom's not far and Lincoln said the place was alright. And we know we can trust our bro, right?"

"Yeah." Lynn and Lana said together.

"Yes." Lucy and Lisa added.

"Totes." Leni replied, turning her head away from the gargoyles.

"I guess…" Lola whimpered.

"Speaking of Linc, there he is!" Lynn announced as she spotted Lincoln running toward them.

"Lincoln/Linky!" The sisters (apart from Lucy) all cheered as they ran over and trapped him in a big group hug. Lucy walked over more calmly, being the last to join the hug.

"We missed you bro."

"You've been gone for so long, Linky!"

"It is wonderful to see you, elder brother."

"How ya doing, Linc?" All the girls said all at once.

"Lincoln...are you shaking?" Lucy asked, noticing her brother's trembling. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah...I'm fine." Lincoln admitted, and it was somewhat true. He was feeling better, among his loving sisters. "I missed you all too."

"Nice suit, bro." Luna said, grinning at him. "Is it for Halloween? Or for Sibella?" Lincoln blushed lightly, but looked afraid as he peered over his shoulder at Dracula, surprising his sisters.

"Is something wrong, Lincoln?" Leni asked in concern.

"It's just…..that's her father back there…" Lincoln whispered. "And...I don't think he likes me…"

"Eeeeeee! Just like Romeo and Juliet." Lola had a starry eyed look on her face, grinning widely.

"Uh….Lo…that story ended poorly for them…" Luna whispered to Lola.

"I wouldn't worry, Lincoln." Leni said with a shrug and a smile. "Most fathers are super protective of their daughters. Daddy gave Chaz the evil eye for the longest time when I introduced him for the first time. But keep being you and he'll come around."

"Most father's aren't Count Dracula…" Lincoln pointed out. "But you're right. Thanks Leni."

"So, how's school been treating you, bro?" Luna asked.

"Well enough. Spellcrafting class is still my favorite, but I'm learning a lot in potions and monster history too." Lincoln told them.

"And they seemed to be working your body as hard as your mind." Lynn Jr commented, feeling his arm. "They're doing much better than Royal Woods ever did."

"Speaking of, how is Zanya doing?" Lincoln asked, noticing the zombie girl was absent.

"She's….had it kinda tough lately." Lana explained.

"Mostly because of a mean girl named Malora." Lola added angrily.

"Malora? Wasn't she that popular girl who was on tv a few times?" Lincoln asked. He had heard of Malora, but never really interacted with her. With how geeky he and his friends were, girls like her tended to just avoid him.

"Yeah. But she got her just desserts in the end." Luna said with a satisfied smile.

"As for Zanya, she stayed back at home to trick or treat with her dad, Lori, Lily, and Luan." Lana told him. "We had the option too, but I'm not gonna miss a chance to see my big brother AND a monster school."

"Besides, stores will have more than enough candy on reduction the day after halloween." Lisa pointed out.

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm in the mood to mingle." Lynn Jr said, eager to get going.

"Do you want me to introduce you guys?" Lincoln asked.

"Nah. We'll be fine." Lola said with a smile. "You just enjoy yourself, Linky."

"Catch you later, Lincoln." Luna said as the girls all wandered toward the refreshment table, where most of the girl's and their parents were congregated.

"Just don't overwhelm Gila." Lincoln said. "only like one or two at a time."

"Affirmative, brother." Lisa replied, headed for Elsa. Lincoln smiled brightly at his sisters, about to walk toward the party, but was grabbed from behind, a gloved hand covering his mouth as he was dragged into the bushes. He panicked for a moment, but a familiar voice whispered into his ear.

"Hey, Lincoln." Came the voice of Ronnie Anne. She let him go and let him turn around. She was dressed as The Huntress.

"Hey, Ronnie Anne. Why are you hiding in here?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, then noticed a large eyeball just over her shoulder. "And where did that come from?"

"Where did what come from?" Ronnie Anne turned around, looking right at the eye. "I don't see anything there." The white haired lad was pretty confused. How could she miss that? "And to answer your first question...the Louds don't know I'm here. I stowed away."

"What? Why?"

"When I asked if I could come too, they said it was family only." She said, looking kinda salty about it. "Not that they noticed me in the back of their van anyway."

"You better be careful, Ronnie Anne. Miss Grimwood has a lot of security measures in place….you could get in a lot of trouble…"

"The way I see it, it's worth it to see you again." She said, smiling at him. "Besides, what are the odds I'll be caught at this point?"

"Oh, pretty good I'd say, young lady." Miss Grimwood commented with a snicker from right behind Ronnie Anne. The latin city girl stopped smiling, adopting a 'oh damn' look instead.

"M...Miss Grimwood! Please, we can explain…" Lincoln started to stammer.

"Calm yourself, Lincoln. I heard what the young lady said. I understand she means no harm." The middle aged witch said with a soft smile.

"How did you know….?" Ronnie asked, perplexed. In response, Miss Grimwood pointed over her shoulder.

"My guardian eyes, miss. You may not be able to see them, being magically unaware, but they can see you. They're set to keep an eye out for anyone who doesn't belong." She waved her hand, sending the eye away. "Now then...The Louds are right. This party is for Grimwood students, staff and their families...but I think we can overlook the rules this time."

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood." Ronnie Anne said with a sigh.

"You're welcome, Miss Santiago. Just call ahead in the future, or next time, my defenses may be active...and it won't be pretty." RA nodded to her as the headmistress left them be, then froze.

"...How did she learn my last name? I never mentioned it…" Lincoln didn't want to alert her, but he never mentioned it either.

"I think I told her your full name once when we talked about home." He lied for the sake of helping her keep her sanity.

"Oh. Whew." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Anyway, I really missed you, Lincoln."

"I missed you too, Ronnie A-wait. You didn't call me Lame-o." The one son pointed out, having only just now realized it.

"Uh...yeah, well…" She blushed a bit as she rubbed the back of her head. "...with what you've been learning so far, you're not really...a…." She started to say, but then she remembered her promises. The ones she made when she thought he was seriously injured. "...I made a promise to myself to stop calling you Lame-o." She admitted to him.

"You did?"

"Yeah. When you were badly hurt during the volleyball game….I was really scared….we all were. But I made some promises to myself then and there. Among them was I would stop calling you Lame-o."

"I see. Kind of a shame. I was kinda getting used to it." Lincoln said with a chuckle, getting a giggle out of Ronnie Anne. He was about to ask about the other promises, but he didn't want to push her.

"By the way, LIncoln...there something I really want to tell you…" She said, uncharacteristically nervous. Lincoln tilted his head a bit, but before she could proceed.

"There you are, Lincoln. I was wondering where…" Sibella said as she pushed aside the bushes and noticed Ronnie Anne. The two stared at one another for several tense seconds before Sibella said in a civil tone, "Hello, Ronnie Anne."

"Hello, Sibella." RA replied politely, remembering they promised to keep open hostility to a minimum.

"I suppose Miss Grimwood said you could be here?"

"She did. She knows she's here." Lincoln informed her.

"Oh good. Wouldn't do to have any confusion, would it?" Sibella said with a half smile. "Anyway, how about you two come out and join the party?" She took LIncoln by the arm and escorted him back to where the party was, closely followed by Ronnie Anne.

* * *

"And so Chunk handed me my second guitar and I started shredding with both at once." Luna said, doing an air guitar pantomime of the story she was telling to Phanty and the Wolfman. "Whoo, that was a challenge, but it was a blast."

"Hehehehehehe! I can see what Lincoln was talking about. You are talented." Phantasma said.

"She certainly is. I've heard one of her songs playing on the radio around Christmas time." Wolfman sighed a bit. "A beautiful song."

"Awww, thanks, man. Maybe if Miss G is cool with it, maybe Phantasma and I can rock the joint a bit. How do you like that idea?"

"Like? I LOVE it!" Phantasma cheered.

"Awesome!" Luna declared with a smile, shaking Phanty's ghostly hand.

* * *

"I see where you are coming from, Elsa…" Lisa said as she sipped from her cup of iced tea (and noticed how she was getting itchy while drinking it). "..but to leave the isotromic paramulator out of a plasma resonation device...that's crazy talk."

"Ah, you don't need an isotromic paramulator if you use a mono-polar ioniscope." Elsa replied with a chuckle.

"But don't that interfere with the actual resonator?"

"Not if you use proper shielding. But the size may be an issue. No way you'd be able to make that portable." Elsa commented, her hand on her chin as she pondered the issue she just brought up.

"Well, if you used a tri-polar ioniscope instead, you could...but tri-polar would cause the device to overheat at least twice as fast as before." Lisa said.

"And there is no way a cooling system made for a portable plasma resonator could remedy that." Elsa pointed out. "So unless we wanted to build a resonator made for the front of a vehicle the size of a tank, I guess you're right." The young Frankenteen shrugged with another chuckle. "If only isotromic paramulators didn't cost an arm and a leg."

"Admittedly a problem, but a device like this wouldn't really be made for public use anyway, so making it affordable isn't strictly necessary."

"Says you. My allowance is my budget." Elsa argued.

"Ah. I suppose I am blessed to have an income courtesy of the university." Lisa said as she adjusted her glasses.

"You have a job at a university?"

"Indeed. As a professor. I would be happy to show you are the campus next time you visit Royal Woods."

"Sounds great. Four years old and not only do you have a PHD, but a teaching job...that is incredible. Color me impressed." Elsa said, holding a hand out to Lisa.

"Thank you. Your knowledge is quite extensive as well. That was one of the more enjoyable intellectual debates I've partaken in in some time." The four year old genius replied with a smile and a hand shake.

* * *

"And so, after I had the 'mud monster' make another appearance at another lake, the journalists went away, but those corporate guys came back to build over the FIshman's home." Lana said, telling the story of her fishy friends back in Royal Woods to Gila. The aquatic girl was more at ease with Lana, because she was so small and young and of what Lincoln told her of the tomboy's respect for nature. "It was a vicious cycle, and one I couldn't continue."

"How sad...what happened to the Fishman's?"

"Well, the story does have a happy ending. My sister, Lisa, discovered that my friends were endangered species and, with her own government contacts, she turned their home into a protected habitat." Lana finished the story with a big smile. Gila sighed with relief. "So, Lincoln tells me you're from some big lagoon?"

"Yes. The infamous Black Lagoon." Gila said with a nod. "Well, more like a coral reef just outside it. With more and more humans coming to try and get a glimpse of the famous creature, we decided to move out until they decide it's a hoax or something."

"Smart move."

"Thanks."

"Speaking of the creature, where is your dad?" Lana asked, as the Creature didn't appear to be around.

"He'll be by later. Not only does he have to take a...slightly roundabout way to get here, he likes arriving fashionably late. What about your father?"

"Dad's back home. He doesn't do well with spooky stuff, or Halloween, though he's gotten a little bit better with Zanya around. Mom took us instead." She pointed back to where Rita was talking with Miss Grimwood.

"That's a shame…..so….why are you dressed as peanut butter?"

"Oh, my sister, Lola and I, like to wear matching costumes on Halloween. Since we're twins, it adds a cute factor, and helps us get more candy when we trick or treat." Lana explained, though it didn't seem to clear up the confusion in Gila's eyes. "Oh, you mean why we dress up on Halloween, don'tcha? Well, Lisa's the one to ask about that. She's the brainy one." Meanwhile, a stone throw away, Lola and Tanis were engaged in a little synchronized ribbon dancing, each of them giggling up a storm.

"Hahahaha. You're really good, Tanis." Lola admitted as she performed a tricky spin and twirl move, which Tanis matched almost to perfection.

"Thanks. You're fantastic at this too, Lola." Tanis replied as the two came to a stop, bowing to their audience of Shaggy, Scooby and her Mummy Daddy before the young mummy wound back up the wrapping she used as a ribbon.

"Talented and adorable. Have you considered doing pageants, Tanis?"

"Oh no. My Mummy Mommy doesn't approve of them. Besides, I'm too shy for that…" Tanis answered with a soft blush with made Lola squee.

"It's a shame. You would have the judges eating out of your hand with your natural cuteness."

"Can't argue that point." Shaggy commented.

"Reah." Scooby agreed.

* * *

"You're going down, wolfy!" Lynn declared, gritting her teeth as her arm strained against Winnie's. The two were engaged in an intense arm wrestling match, being supervised by the Phantom and Frankenteen Senior.

"That's what you think, ponytail…" Winnie growled, giving it all she got.

"That's it, Winnie. You've got this." Mr Frankenteen cheered as he watched.

"It's all you, Lynn." The Phantom rooted for the human girl. The two girls leaned closer as they continued the almost dead even deadlock, their foreheads soon touching.

"Getting tired?" Lynn taunted with a smirk.

"Not at all. But I bet your arm's getting sore." Winnie retorted.

"Don't even feel the burn yet." Despite both their words of confidence they were both sweating quite a bit from the effort.

"What's going on here?" Rita asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Lynn and Winnie are just having a friendly arm wrestling contest." The Phantom explained to her. Rita sighed; she knew her daughter and knew any kind of contest would be far from friendly. She was about to step in, but the large reanimated man beside her held out a hand.

"Just a moment, Mrs Loud. Let us see how this plays out."

"Besides, we got a bit of a side bet going…" The mysterious spirit whispered to her. "We'd be happy to let you in on it if you like."

"Betting on our daughters' contest? That's hardly ethical…." Rita said with a frown, crossing her arms. The ghost and monster man glanced at each other with a smirk before looking back at her and waiting, when she said, "...Besides, it wouldn't be a fair contest. Junior is a champ at many sports, including wrestling and lucha libre." They knew they had her now.

"In which case, you'd be confident in supporting her." The Phantom said slyly.

"...this never happened….and five dollars on Lynn." She whispered.

"And I got five transylvanian dollars on Winnie." The Wolfman said quietly, moving over beside them. Back with the girls, their arms were quivering from the effort of trying to overtake one another. Winnie was sweating so much that some was getting in her eyes. Lynn was about to take advantage of it, but stopped herself. She was having way more fun pushing herself to the limit against Winnie, so why not make it last? She's gonna win later anyway, so she gave Winnie a chance to recover before they both went back at it. The little table between them groaned and creaked under the pressure of both of them leaning against it. A few more seconds in, the table collapsed, sending them both to the floor. Still wanting to settle this, the arm wrestling match turned into a full on wrestling match. This was too much for Rita, but Wolfman and the Phantom kept her from intervening. That said, it didn't take long for the two girls to tire themselves out, laying side by side on the grass, unable to do much other than catch their breaths.

"So….who won?" Lynn gasped.

"I have no idea…" Winnie admitted. They slowly glanced at one another, then burst out laughing.

"That was epic!" Lynn cheered.

"If I could move, I'd high five you!" Winnie said.

"Rematch sometime?"

"You're on."

* * *

Dracula was standing a little away from the party, watching as things unfolded, pouring a little bit of blood from a blood bag into a wine glass. 'Modern times...you make being a vampire so much easier.' He thought as he took a sip. He glances over at Rita, who was looking relieved at the end of Lynn and Winnie's wrestling match. 'A fearsome, fiery woman, she is.' He pondered as she helped the girls up. '...shame she is already married. She would have made a fine bride…' His attention moved over to where Shaggy and Scooby Doo were chuckling at Scrappy, who was being hugged overly tight by an adoring Lola. 'And those three...imagine my surprise running into them again last year….so long after the final Monster Road Rally.' Dracula cringed a bit at the thought. The whole race was a disaster in his eyes. He had to deal with tens of thousands of dollars worth of repairs to all vehicles involved, plus repairs to his castle, after the race was finally over. Not only that, but that blasted 'Sha-Gee' as he used to call him made a complete fool out of him, winning the race and escaping his clutches. But, that was then. He was a much younger, inexperienced, hot tempered vampire. Now, he was older, wiser, and mellowed significantly with age. The idea of revenge never even crossed his mind when he saw them all again, gym teachers to his precious Sibella. Yeah, he made sure they understood the score, but it wasn't out of malice; it was for the sake of his daughter. Just like with Lincoln...ah yes...the boy. He looked toward him, Sibella still having her arm around his, leading him to speak with Gosuki, Ronnie Anne one step away from grabbing his other arm. He sneered a bit. 'The boy has several sets of eyes on him, it seems….' He thought derisively. '...but, he seems to have understood my point….if he's as smart as Sibella claims, he will not break her heart.'

* * *

"...So Dad will be coming along much later." Gosuki explained.

"All the way from Monster Island? Yeah, that is quite a walk." Lincoln said.

"Why doesn't he just get an earlier start?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"Dad has notoriously bad timing." Suki admitted with a bit of a giggle.

"Makes sense." Lincoln said, being familiar with the giant monster's work.

"Hey guys!" Leni exclaimed as she joined the group.

"Hi Leni."

"Good evening, Leni." Sibella said.

"Hey." Ronnie Anne said simply, trying to disguise her voice.

"Are you coming down with a cold, Ronnie Anne?" Leni asked in concern.

"How in the…!?" RA asked incredulously as Lincoln and Sibella both snickered behind their hands.

"So, how are you finding Grimwood, Leni?" Sibella asked with a smile.

"Well, Mom had to use a GPS...it's kind of out of the way." She replied, clearly misunderstanding the question.

"She asking if you're enjoying your time here." Lincoln elaborated, saving the vampiress from trying again.

"Oh! I'm having a great time. It is a little spooky, but hey, it is Halloween." Leni said with a smile. "And all the grown ups have such great costumes." Lincoln sighed, deciding it wasn't worth the headache of trying to explain it. He got all five of them a glass of punch before Leni spoke again. "So, how is your head doing, Linky?"

"It's doing well, thanks to Miss Grimwood." Lincoln said, patting himself on the head. "Good as new."

"Thank goodness." Ronnie Anne and Sibella said at the same time. The two glanced at each other for a moment, but didn't say anything.

"That's good. We were all worried sick." Leni told him. "Ronnie Anne especially...I thought I heard her muttering a prayer or something when she saw you all not moving and such." Ronnie Anne's cheeks turned red as she took a far greater interest in her cup than the situation warranted, Lincoln blushing as well. Sibella saw this and frowned a bit. She would have said or done something, but they had promised to keep open hostility to a minimum. "But we were all so thrilled when Miss Grimwood did that hocus pocus thingie she did and made you all better. We could have all kissed her for that, though maybe not as much as Sibella kissed you." Her brother nearly choked on his punch. They saw that!? Now it was Sibella's turn to blush, smirking a bit as the city girl beside Lincoln, who just glared at her.

"Er….Leni, you haven't said hello to Gosuki yet, have you?" Lincoln said quickly, hoping to distract Leni and keep her from accidentally escalating the situation.

"OMGosh! You're right! Where are my manners!?" Leni turned to pink reptilian girl. "I am so sorry. Hi there. I'm Leni Loud."

"It's ok. I know how it is with family. Gosuki." The young kaiju said with a sweet smile.

"Bless you." Leni replied, making Suki laugh.

"No. That's my name. Gosuki, but my friends call me Suki."

"Oooh! Right. Oops!" Leni giggled as Lincoln, Ronnie and Sibella put a little distance between themselves and Leni.

"I love Leni like the sister she is, but sometimes…." Lincoln grumbled.

"Yeah. I know what it's like. My cousins can get the same way." Ronnie Anne said, smiling lightly at Lincoln. "Family. What can you do, right?" Lincoln nodded a bit, not noticing Ronnie Anne smirking at the vampiress, who couldn't really add anything. She was an only child, and didn't often interact with family outside her father and his many brides. Being unable to relate frustrated her, but she held her tongue again.

"Hey Linc! Over here!" Winnie called out, waving Lincoln over to where she, Luna and Elsa seemed to be having a friendly chat.

"Go on ahead, Lincoln." Sibella said.

"Are you sure?" Lincoln asked, as he hoped he could hang out with them a little more.

"Sure, Lincoln. We have all night to hang, but we don't want to hog all your attention." Ronnie Anne agreed.

"Alright. See you two later." Lincoln waved to them as he joined his other friends and sister. The moment he was out of earshot, both girls glared daggers at one another.

"I don't know or particularly care who you think you are…." Sibella started quietly, trying not to draw attention to them but still sound intimidating. "...but if you think Lincoln is interested in someone who used to be his bully, you are crazy…."

"I've known Lincoln a hell of a lot longer than you have…." RA growled in return. "AND I'll have you know he's been interested in me a LOT longer than he's been interested in you." Sibella scoffed in clear disbelief. "He's kissed me twice. Has he kissed you?" Sibella blushed and looked away. He had kissed her before, but usually on the cheek. Granted, their big kiss had only happened about a somewhat recently. Ronnie Anne smirked, finding it a personal victory. She didn't feel the need to tell her that when he did kiss her, she hit him in return.

"Well, have you kissed him in return?" Sibella retorted. With that, it was Ronnie Anne's turn to flinch and look away. Other than hugs, she never really returned Lincoln's few shows of affection; a fact she hoped to change. Sibella felt a little better, having put her on the defensive now. "I thought not. So, whenever Lincoln shows he cares about you, you can't do the same?"

"Hey! I do care about him. I came all this way, at the risk of serious trouble, just to be with him."

"Oh, super. One act of caring in how long you've known him? Compared to how long you've bullied him?"

"It's not the only time I showed I care about him…."

"Have you ever told him how much he means to you?" Once more, Ronnie Anne was put on the spot.

"Well...have you?" She responded, knowing it was a rather weak counter attack.

"Well...I haven't really told him...how much I love him yet." Sibella admitted, her cheeks turning red. Ronnie Anne felt something akin to an electric shock when she heard Sibella use the L word. However, she still had a chance. She hasn't told him, and she bet one as shy as Lincoln wouldn't have confessed yet either. "But I regularly show him how I feel."

"...I love Lincoln, Sibella." Ronnie Anne growled, a very deep blush appearing on her own face. "And if you think I'm going to sit idly by and lose him that easily...then you're the crazy one…" Sibella simply huffed at her.

"Then I suppose it will go down to who Lincoln prefers then...as if we don't know who that will be…" Ronnie Anne nodded in agreement, both girls certain Lincoln would choose them.

"Excuse me." Ronnie Anne jumped in shock, with Sibella flinching as well. Lucy was standing just off to the side, smiling at the two. "I don't mean to interrupt, but may I speak with you a moment, Sibella?"

"Of course. Lucy, isn't it?" The vampiress inquired, to which Lucy nodded. Ronnie used this opportunity to get away from her. She knew what she had to do; get Lincoln alone and tell him how she feels. However, this was not the time nor the place. Getting him alone would be impossible here. However, she did have his phone number. One call tomorrow and she'll be golden

"I was hoping you could do me a little favor." Lucy said in her usual deadpan manner.

"That depends on the favor. What do you need?"

"I want to be turned into a vampire. Please." The gothic Loud told her.

"Ooooh….." The vampiress looked mighty worried, glancing toward Rita, who seemed to be getting along well with Tanis and her Mummy Daddy. "I'm not sure your mother would approve, Lucy."

"Please…"

"Tell you what, Lucy...get your mother's permission and we'll talk." Sibella offered

"Deal." Lucy said without a moment's hesitation. She hurried off to speak with her mother, Sibella sweating a bit. She did not expect the young eight year old to accept that so quickly. "Mother, I'd like to get your permission to become a vampire."

"...excuse me?" The Loud mother asked, uncertain if she heard correctly.

"Sibella told me if I got your permission, she might turn me into a vampire." Rita looked up at Sibella, who gave a nervous shrug that said 'I didn't know what else to tell her'.

"Lucy, dear...that is a pretty serious decision to make….I mean, you would exist purely on blood…."

"Sibella and her father survive on foods other than blood." Lucy responded. "In fact, one of Sibella's favorite foods is piranha gumbo."

'Learn something new every day…' Rita thought. "Well...the sun would be deadly to you."

"I already avoid the sun, and Sibella is fully capable of existing in the sun without consequence. Remember the volleyball game?"

"Oh yeah….you know, I never really thought about it." Now Rita was curious how that was even possible. "You would have to sleep in…." She paused, remembering that Lucy already slept in a coffin. Her daughter's grin was growing larger. "You would be fe...no….you...no…." Rita was quickly running out of arguments. She could just say no, but she feared Lucy would go behind her back and do it anyway. She needed an alternative strategy. "...college first, Lucy." She settled on, thinking that might dissuade her.

"Deal." Once more, without an ounce of hesitation. Lucy triumphantly walked back toward Sibella, Rita standing there wondering what the hell just happened. "Mom says I have to go through college first."

"Well, that is fair. After all, vampirism is a big step to take. You don't want to rush into it."

"I suppose so...by the way, how did you spend time in the sun?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, that's simple. We vampires have developed a special serum that protects us from the deadly rays of the sun. We have to inject it into our blood streams every five years, like a booster shot. It hurts like the dickins, but it's worth it."

"Wicked."

* * *

"Hi Lincoln. Nice suit." Elsa commented as Lincoln came over.

"Hi Elsa, and thanks."

"Man, Linc, these girls are even more rocking than what you described to us." Luna said with a smile, putting an arm around Winnie.

"I'm glad you're all getting along." Lincoln said, looking quite pleased. "Have you met everyone yet?"

"Just about. I'm waiting my turn on Gila…" She pointed toward the fish girl, who was talking to Leni (and seemed to be warming up nicely to the kindly blonde). "...and I don't think I even want to try with them." She pointed over to where Milly and her Martian Mother and Father were. Naturally, they had distanced themselves from everyone else, and had brought their own food.

"What is the point of coming to the Open House if you're just going to avoid everyone?" Lincoln wondered, a combination of upset and perplexed.

"A mystery for the ages." Elsa commented.

"Hey...isn't that Lisa headed for them?" Luna pointed out the little robot strolling toward them.

"Uh oh...this is going to get interesting…."

* * *

To say Milly wasn't exactly enjoying herself would be an understatement. She loved her parental units as any child would, but they weren't exactly the caring, nurturing type. Her mother was stern, calculating, highly intelligent even by Martian standards, and often careless with her words. She had a frog like head similar to her daughter's, also pink with eye stalks, and wore a clear bubble over her head. She wore a space suit adorned with a variety of medals and ribbons, showing her accomplishments. She most often spent her time there leering at the Earth creatures in pure contempt. Her father, on the other hand, was the other extreme. He was very laid back to the point of aloofness, though he was even more intelligent than Milly's mother. Trouble was, he would always get yelled at whenever he used his brains: by his wife, by his own parental units, by his bosses. So he figured, what was the point of using his mind if no one wanted to benefit from it? He often tried to be more loving to his hundreds of children, but once more, he could only get yelled at so many times before he got the hint. So here he was, pretty much pretending no one else was there and, in his mind, everyone else pretending he wasn't there. The only one they even spoke to since they arrived was Miss Grimwood, and even then that was to exchange pleasantries before separating themselves from everyone else. This was about to change very soon as Lisa made her way over to the extra-terrestrials. "I think you're lost, Earth whelp…." Milly's mother said with a sneer.

"Quite the contrary, madam. I meant to come here." Lisa responded without a trace of fear. "As I wished an opportunity to initiate conversation with your daughter, as well as your charming family."

"Well, we have no desire to speak with inferior life forms." She replied coldly, sticking her non-existent nose into the air.

"If you do not wish to converse with me, then so be it. However, I believe your husband and daughter are fully capable of deciding for themselves whom they wish to speak to and when." Lisa retorted calmly, which surprised Milly and got the attention of her father. No one, on Earth or Mars, dared to talk back to Milly's mother.

"She got your there, love." The martian father said with a half smirk.

"Be silent, M Male Prime!" She snapped, not even sparing him a glance. "Now you listen here, you miniature hairless ape…"

"Mother Unit...if you please...I will handle this one…" Milly said, stepping forward. "I believe this is the one I told you of before….the one referred to as Lisa."

"I am. And that must make you M-149." Lisa responded. Milly nodded in reply, privately glad that Lisa had the sense to use her Martian designation.

"...so this whelp is the one who allegedly unlocked the secrets of inter-dimensional travel…?" The alien mother asked, in a tone of clear disbelief.

"I find bragging quite distasteful…" Lisa said with a small smile. "...but I won't deny that is one of my many accomplishments."

"...Proceed, M-149."

"Affirmative, Mother Unit." The little martian moved herself right in front of Lisa, an angry scowl on her face. "As for you, Earthling, you may claim to be able to travel between dimensions, but seeing as how your kind cannot even travel beyond your own star system, I find that highly doubtful." Her mother unit gave a sanctimonious little nod in agreement as her daughter continued. "So if you expect us to believe your outlandish little tale, you'll have to provide us with some definitive proof…"

"I see. Such as the dimensional portal generator itself?" Lisa asked, producing something looking like a wrist watch from her person. The three martians just stare at it before Milly laughed.

"Earthling, we have wrist watches on Mars. You won't fool a superior martian mind like that."

"Seeing is believing, Miss 149." Lisa said sagely, holding the watch out to her. "So I invite you to see for yourself. The pull and turn the first tab to adjust the dimensional coordinates, then press the green button."

"Give me that, Earthling!" Milly's mother sudden swiped the watch from her hand.

"Mother unit, I said I was-"

"Silence, 149!" She snapped as she made the adjustments the way Lisa instructed. "It is my duty as Mars' top scientist to prove this scientific blasphemy as the hoax that it-" The moment she pressed the green button, a swirling green and dark green portal opened up beside her. The sudden appearance of the gateway shocked Milly and her mother, but not her father.

"Incredible…" He muttered, moving in for a closer look. "A true rift into the dimensional barrier. A disruption in tachyon and maision particles, lest I be mistake, caused by a quasi-tronic rift generator….am I close?"

"Quite." Lisa answered. "At least, in the right neighborhood."

"Impossible...a quasi-tronic generator would have to be the size of the first level of this school in order to produce enough power to create a proper rift...this is just an illusion…" The mother unit stated in denial. "...and not a convincing one at that…" In an attempt to prove her point, she stuck her head into the portal.

"Where...exactly does that portal go?" Milly asked Lisa quietly.

"I have no idea. Your mother set the coordinates." Lisa replied under her breath. They got their answer seconds later as the alien matriarch suddenly sprang backwards in fear. A large, hideous, purple creature with long sharp fangs and rabbit like ears stuck it's head out of the portal, roaring loudly. It only held that form for a second before it shrank back down to about Lisa's size.

"And stay out…" The rabbit like monster said, shaking his fist at Milly's mother before returning from wence it came. The Mother Unit pressed the red button on the watch and tossed it back to Lisa, visibly shaking.

"Seems she's experienced a state of shell shock." Lisa said as she picked up her watch. "She should be fine in a short time."

"How by Rak'thor's name did you make a quasi-tronic generator that small!?" Milly asked, unable to believe her eyes and ears.

"Well, once the full sized version was mastered…" Lisa explained. "...miniaturization is usually the next logical step. We do that all the time with technology, from entertainment devices to computers. As for the power source, a small sample of uranium is more than sufficient, especially with the improvements made to the plasmonic disruptor. Far more energy efficient than it's larger counterpart, at the cost of being for more personal use."

"Remarkable...for a being of any species, truly remarkable." Milly's father said, while he had an opportunity to say so without being told to shut up. "And for one that is but a hatchling…er….child."

"Thank you, Mr Male Prime. I see you have a more relaxed view when it comes to the people of Earth."

"I'm not really a fan, truth be told, but I'm not so closed minded that I can't recognize when Earthlings do something brilliant, and I gotta say, you got us licked there." M Prime said, a bit of a grin on his face. "Granted, we still lead you by a mile in the space race, but I guess you can't win them all." He chuckled a bit.

"A truism to be sure." Lisa agreed before turning her attention back to Milly.

"Earthl….Lisa." She corrected herself, surprising even her own father. "I….must admit….your intellect...is significant." She continued, though it sounded like it was taking a lot out of her to say this.

"Thank you, Miss 149."

"Now….now what just a moment, young podling!" F Prime suddenly said, snapping out of her shock.

"Hmmm. Much sooner than I expected." Lisa commented quietly to herself.

"This upstart Earthling may have been lucky enough to stumble up dimensional travel-"

"Luck had little to nothing to do with it."

"Silence!" She snapped to an unimpressed young genius. "But her intellect is still inferior to ours!"

"Is that so, madam?" Lisa inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Then I suppose a battle of wits would be no challenge for you."

"No, it wouldn't. However, it would be a pleasure to put you in your place…."

"I'm sure it would. Beating a four year old in a competition of mental agility. The highlight of your career, I'm sure..."

"Don't even speak like you know anything about my career, when you yourself have accomplished little in your short, insignificant life…"

"First of all, madam, I am a professor at a local university." Lisa informed her, maintaining her composure. "The youngest in history, I hasten to add." F Prime just glared at her in a 'big whoop' kind of way. "And second of all, you are the lead scientist on your planet, in charge of all facets of research and development of scientific advances, without actually being involved in anything science related." Milly's mother unit's face changed to something more akin to distress than anger. "Your primary roles involve reviewing grant requests, paying the bills, managing the inventory, and martian resources. All of which important roles, but none of which involving lab work, experiments, theoretical study or inventing."

"H...How do you know….?"

"While our kind have yet to master the finer arts of space travel, we are quite adept at seeing what goes on in space, and Mars has been a site of interest since Martian kind was discovered. Granted, it's kept under wraps from all but those closely connected with NASA or the government (of which I am well connected with both), but we have extensive knowledge of the people of Mars, as well as their prominent leaders and figures. And you madam, being their lead scientist, are one of them."

"You...you can't be….you must be lying!" F Prime screamed, in a desperate attempt to regain control of the situation.

"Your husband graduated top of his class, one of the few besides yourself to get perfect scores on his final exams. However, due to his 'insane theories' and out of the box method of thinking, he was considered a loon…" She looked toward M Prime. "No offense intended, sir. And if it's any consolation, geniuses ahead of their time are often misunderstood."

"None taken, and thanks, kid."

"The two of you participated in an arranged marriage, and had two hundred and ninety eight children-" Lisa continued.

"Ha! I got you there!" F Prime interrupted, grinning widely and pointing at Lisa. "We have-"

"Please, allow me to finish." Lisa said, a little annoyed at being interrupted. "-although M-203 and M-204 share a body, which technically makes two ninety nine, but officially two ninety eight." F Prime's hand slowly dropped and her grin vanished. "Shall I continue?"

"No…." The alien mother said, sounding downcast and defeated, tears filling her eyes. "There is no need...I believe you...you do know more about my career than I could imagine…." She turned her back to Lisa and Milly before she started crying, covering her helmet where her eyes were located.

"What was that for, Lisa!?" Milly snapped, glaring at the second youngest Loud.

"My sincerest apologies, M-149. While she did literally ask for it, I did not intend to make her cry." Lisa said, walking toward F Prime and putting a little hand on her back.

"Leave me alone, Earthling...you've already revealed to my mate and one of my daughters how my position is a farce…."

"While your current position is far from what you would expect from the title of lead scientist, it doesn't diminish what you've done to reach that position. You must have made some incredible contributions to science." Lisa told her.

"Well...yes. I spearheaded the creation of the lightspeed drive that allowed us to better travel the cosmos…" The martian woman said, sniffing a bit in spite of her lack of a nose. "...and I was essential in finding the cure for red sand fever…"

"Let's not forget your work in theoretical physics, which led to personal teleportation becoming possible." M Prime pointed out.

"Still...thinking more about it...it feels like my intelligence is wasted away from the labs…"

"Well, there's nothing stopping you from doing your own, independent studies." Lisa said. "I mean, I do all my scientific research and experiments in my room when I am not at school or the university."

"Little earth lady has a point. And it could be one heck of a family bonding activity." M Prime interjected. "I mean, well over half our children are into science, and we can put our heads together too."

"You and your insistence upon 'family bonding' continues to baffle me...however, you both do have a point...why did I not think of that before?" F Prime put her hand on the underside of her bubble, where her chin was. "Being able to do my own scientific studies and give our podlings the benefit of our genius as well…" She went on and on, talking quietly to herself. M Prime sighed lightly with a shrug.

"Well, at least she cheered up and she's taking the idea enthusiastically...I'll take it." He said.

"Why is it she finds the idea of a family bonding rather foreign?" Lisa whispered to Milly.

"Because on Mars, families aren't quite as close as they seem to be here on Earth…" Milly responded quietly, looking back over her shoulder to see the twins playing with Phantasma and Suki. "Our family of nearly three hundred could be considered a small family."

"I see. I imagine that makes getting attention a borderline impossibility."

"You speak the truth, Lisa...unless you happen to be exceptional in one way, shape or form…" Lisa turned her head slightly as she noticed the little alien's voice sadden.

"And I suspect, being the middle child...you have to struggle extra hard to be noticed…" Milly blinked as she looked back at the brilliant little girl. "My brother is in the same boat as you, you know. Stuck between five older sisters and five younger sisters, previously with very little to help him stand out apart from his good heart and generosity with his time."

"Previously?"

"Lincoln's time here has revealed he has an aptitude for the arcane arts, street name magic." Lisa explained, her attention turning toward Lincoln, who was laughing at something said among himself, Luna, Winnie and Elsa. "And while I myself still somewhat balk at the idea of magic...hmm. There's a point of study when I return home...anyway, I am happy for him finding something he excels at and proud of the extent at which he studies it."

"Good for him." Milly replied, still sounding down.

"And I think you may have found something you have a knack at as well." Lisa added, getting a confused glance from the alien. "You are an exceptional pilot, if your skills with the RC drone are any indication."

"So what…? A lot of my bigger siblings are good pilots…."

"Perhaps, but how many seek to improve upon their skills steering air or space craft?" Milly was silent as she considered this. In truth, she didn't really know the answer.

"None." M Prime answered, making his daughter jump in surprise. "Because most of them have other things they're pursuing, or they're resting on their laurels."

"There you go." Lisa said, turning to stand directly between the two. "You can take the time to hone your piloting skills, starting with RC drones and working your way up. And while we're on the subject...would there happen to be many radio controlled toys on Mars?"

"Not really." Milly said. "Why?"

"Lincoln's friend Zach and I were inspired by your combat prowess with the camera drone during the Grimwood/Calloway volleyball game." Lisa explained, a very light blush appearing on the little martian's cheeks. "And we're working together to ascertain the practicality of RC Aerial Combat as a hobby and/or a competitive sport."

"I think I see where you're going with this…" M-149 said as realization struck, bringing a grin to her face.

* * *

"Huh. Seems to me Lisa is actually getting along well with them." Lincoln said in surprise.

"Certainly better than we expected. I wonder what she said to them.." Winnie pondered out loud.

"Whatever it is, they seem to like it." Elsa pointed out as the four year old, the little martian and her father leaned in and put their heads together to talk privately. "At least Milly and her father do."

"Well, as long as they aren't at each other's throats, then it's cool." Luna commented.

"Oh yeah." Winnie agreed. Just then, the ground started to shake a little.

"Huh? Did you guys feel that?" The one son asked, staggering a bit.

"Yeah, bro...what do you make of it?" Luna turned to Elsa.

"I think it's Gosuki father." Elsa replied, not even reacting to the trembling of the ground.

"Gosuki's dad?"

"Oh….it's…." Lincoln started to say as the ground shook even more, a towering reptilian creature stomping it's way toward them in the distance.

"GODZILLA!" Lana exclaimed, squealing with fangirlish delight as she ran over next to Lincoln. The Louds were all petrified at the sight of the approaching kaiju (except for Lana), but Miss Grimwood, the girls and their parents paid him little to no mind.

"Hi Daddy!" Suki called out, waving as the king of the monsters stood right in front of her. He looks down at her and smiles, growling...something. "I'm fine, Daddy. Grimwood's is all sorts of fun, and I made a lot of new friends." Lincoln just stood there, his mouth hanging open at the sight of the gargantuan monster, only snapping out of it when Lana nudged him. He turns to her, a book being shoved in his face.

"What the….oh, right…." He gulped, taking the book in hand. 'The things I do for my sisters…' He took a deep breath and approached the foot of the giant monster...or big claw of the creature, more accurately. "Uh….excuse me, Mr Godzilla?" The monster's large, yellow eyes focused on the little boy in front of him. "I...I'm Lincoln Loud...a friend of your daughter…" Godzilla growls again, holding a single claw out to him.

"Daddy says it's nice to meet you." Suki translated.

"Oh...likewise." A nervous Lincoln replied, shaking Gojira's claw. "Uh...if it's not too much trouble...my little sister, Lana, is a big fan of yours….might I ask you for your autograph for her?" He held up the little book, which was about the size of a postage stamp to the kaiju. Still, he took the book in his massive hand and pulled a large pair of glasses from...somewhere. 'Huh. You learn something new every day.' Lincoln thought as Godzilla dipped his claw into a giant inkwell that came from whereever he kept his reading glasses, and wrote something down into the book. "Thank you, Mr Godzilla." He said politely as the book was returned.

"THANK YOU, LINCOLN!" Lana nearly knocked her bigger brother down from the force of the hug she was now giving him.

"Er...you're welcome, Lana." Lincoln said, Gojira chuckling a bit at the sight. He opened up the book to show her the signature, which the kaiju wrote in both japanese and in english.

* * *

"You have some boy there, Mrs Loud." The Mummy pointed out as the grown ups watched the scene unfold.

"Yes. I can certain see why Miss Grimwood would select him for the student exchange." Frankenteen Sr remarked as he drank his swamp water punch.

"Thanks. He is a good boy. I will admit, I was pretty nervous about him going to this school. I mean, it is a few hours away and I knew so little about it."

"We know how you feel." The adult werewolf said. "We were equally wary about a boy being introduced to the school."

"Not so much that he was human, mind you." The Phantom added. "After all, Miss Grimwood is a good judge of humans. She picked the man and his dogs to be their gym coach after all. But being a boy among so many girls…"

"But then, judging by how many daughters you brought, living among a lot of girls is nothing different for him." Poppa Werewolf interjected.

"Would you believe that these still aren't all my daughters?" The four monster adults just stared at her in disbelief. Dracula, who was close enough to hear this, leaned in for a better listen. "Lori, Luan and Lily stayed at home."

"That makes a total of…..eleven children!?" Tanis' Mummy Daddy exclaimed.

'Eleven!?' The vampire father could hardly believe his ears. 'Good grief, that woman must be made of steel or something…'

"And you can handle them all?" A dumbfounded Frankenteen asked.

"Yes. Well, not alone. My husband, Lynn Sr, does his part, and Lori and Lincoln help out wherever possible as well."

"I don't think the missus and I could reign in that many pups." The Wolfman said, sounding impressed. "Your whole family is something else…"

* * *

"Hmmmm. Well, if you can vouch for her, Lucy…." Miss Grimwood said to little Lucy, after taking a moment to think. "...Then I suppose I can see no harm in it."

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood. She's really eager to see Lincoln again." Lucy said with a soft smile.

"However, I wish to witness the ceremony first hand, just to be safe, dear."

"Of course. Just let me grab my brother and we can begin." The little goth ran off, or at least as much as her gown would allow, finding Lincoln between Lola and Phantasma, his face bright red and the two giggling like mad.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln, but I was being honest. I really do adore you." Phanty told him. "You're just too cute not too."

"He's even cuter when his cheeks are all blushy." Lola teased. pinching his cheeks.

"And his laugh. It's precious."

"I know, right?!"

"Need an escape?" Lucy whispered to him, able to get right next to him without either girl noticing.

"Please…." He muttered back. Lucy grabbed his arm and quickly pulled him away while the ghost and the pageant princess were chortling with glee.

"Hehehehehehe…..hey, where'd he go?" Lola asked when she realized her brother was AWOL.

"I dunno. Maybe he mastered a spell of invisibility?" Phanty suggested. While Lola and Phantasma tried to solve the mystery of the disappearing brother, Lincoln snuck away, following Lucy closely.

"Thanks Lucy…" He whispered. "If they kept that up, my face would have been red for life."

"You're welcome, Lincoln." Lucy replied with a soft smile.

"So, where are we going?"

"There's someone who really wants to see you again, big brother." She responded, taking him a little away from everyone else (but remaining in sight of her mother), where Miss Grimwood was waiting. Lincoln looked a little confused as his sister started to arrange candles on the ground. He looked to Miss Grimwood for a possible explanation, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"Sorry, Lincoln, but I'm not spoiling the surprise." She replied. The little goth sat down in the middle of the circle of candles, motioning Lincoln to join her inside. Curious where this was going, he sat down in front of Lucy.

"Great Grandmother Harriet, I beseech you from the land of the living. Come to us, please." Lucy chanted, a chilly wind surrounding them. The white haired lad shivered a little, then gasped as he saw what he believed to be another Lucy hovering in front of him. Well, maybe not exactly another Lucy. She did look older, and she looked like she was a ghost.

"Ah. It is good to be back. Thank you so much, Lucy dear." Harriet said, smiling to Lucy before turning to Lincoln. "And Lincoln...goodness me, the last time I saw you properly, you were a little one…"

"G...G….Great Grandmother Harriet?" The one son was stunned at the sight of the spirit of his deceased great grandmother.

"The same. Now come over here, so I can give you a hug." She held out her arms to him, a loving smile on her face. It took the boy a moment to recover before he got to his feet, stepping over to her and putting his arms around the little ghost as she hugged him in return. Miss Grimwood simply watched from the side, wiping a tear away with her handkerchief. It was a beautiful sight to behold for her.

"B...But how come I can see you now?" Lincoln asked as they separated from the hug. "And not any of the other times Lucy said you were around…"

"Oh, that's easy, dear." Harriet said with a chuckle. "One: presence. As I have already passed on to the other side, my ability to manifest in this plane is limited. The exception, of course, being on Halloween...and sometimes Christmas, if the powers that be are feeling generous. And two: magical awareness. Until you've started getting in touch with your magic, there was a lot you couldn't see, myself included. But even if you and your family couldn't see me, I still watched over you, my darlings."

"So...all those times Lucy said you were there….?" Harriet nodded to him.

"Yes, Lincoln, but enough about me for the moment. I hear you're becoming an accomplished little warlock."

"He most certainly is." Miss Grimwood said as she moved over to them. "An eager little student, and most talented." Lincoln couldn't help but blush a little at that, making Lucy, Harriet and Abigail all giggle softly.

"Hehehe. Well, magic does run in the family." The ghost of Lincoln's great grandmother said, turning to Miss Grimwood. "Miss Abigail Grimwood. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I only wish we could have met while I still lived. I'm their Great Grandmother Harriet."

"A pleasure, Ms Harriet." The mystical headmistress replied, shaking the little specter's hand. "Hmmmm. I can sense you are a powerful witch in your own right. I can see where Lincoln and Lucy get it from." Lucy could feel her heart swell at that comment.

"Guilty as charged. I've heard all kinds of stories regarding your prowess with the arcane. You sound like a true mistress of the arts."

"Oh, please. You'll make me blush." Miss Grimwood said with a chuckle.

"Learn well from her, dear. She won't steer you wrong." Harriet said to Lincoln.

"I will, Great Grandma." Lincoln replied, smiling at the ghost.

"Such a good boy." Harriet pat him on the head. "And...while I'm on the subject…" She leaned over and whispered into his ear. "I hear from the grapevine you've become quite popular with the young ladies." Lincoln's eyes widened as he blushed bright red. "I doubt I need to tell you this, but you treat them right, young man. I know it's a way off into the future, but I'd still like great, great, grandkids."

"Great grandma…." Lincoln groaned as Harriet giggled.

"Hehehehe. Oh, you kids will never cease to be adorable." She said, pinching Lincoln's cheek. "We have so much catching up to do…"

* * *

Back with the crowd, the combined strengths of Elsa and her father, Lynn Jr and Leni, were bringing Phanty's harpsichord to the front porch, while Luna tuned her guitar on the top step, getting ready to perform with the fun loving spirit. "Mmm hmm. Mmmmm hmm. Rockin'." She commented as her instrument was properly tuned. The rock n roll Loud proceeded to play a few bars in practice, getting the attention of little Gila. The fish girl slowly walks over to the porch, hiding behind the handrail as she listened to the third eldest sister practiced. Because her hiding place did anything but hide her, Luna easily spotted her. "Hey there. Gila, am I right?" The aquatic child nodded in a shy manner.

"...and you must be Luna...you play beautifully."

"Thanks. Just wait till Phantasma gets set up. This party's gonna be jumping like like a pack of frogs!"

"A group of frogs is called an army!" Lana called out from several feet away. Luna blinked as she tried to spot where her younger sister was.

"How does she do that?" She wondered quietly. Gila shrugged, but then her attention turned toward the moat. She wandered over and looked down into the murky water. Then, she turned to Luna.

"Luna….would you be so kind as to play some entry music?" She requested.

"Entry music? Not sure I understand, but I'll try." The third oldest sister said with a shrug. She started to shred with her guitar, playing a triumphant beat as if a hero had just arrived on the scene. The moment she finished, a man sized green, scaly creature leapt from the murky depths like a dolphin. He performed several flips in mid air before landing in a kneeling position.

"The fuuuuun has ariiiiiiived!" He declared in a gurgly voice, getting to his webbed feet and bowing as the Grimwood girls and their fathers applauded him.

"Hehehe. What a ham." Poppa Werewolf muttered to Lana with a chuckle.

"To be fair, that was a pretty cool trick." Lana replied quietly, joining in the ovation.

"The Creature sure knows how to make an entrance." The Phantom admitted with a smirk. "Remember that time he arrived at Baba Yaga's big new year's shindig through the plumbing."

"Hehehe. Yeah. Not making that mistake again." Gila's father said with an embarrassed chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "You would not believe how much that hurt."

"That was a pretty cool entrance." Luna said with a smile, descending the porch to go meet him.

"Thanks...uh….you can't be that Lincoln kid my girl's been talking about, right?"

"I'm his big sister, Luna Loud. The girl who played your entry tune." She held out a hand to shake his. She shivered a bit as he enthusiastically shook her hand, if only because his hand was wet, cold and clammy.

"Creature from the Black Lagoon. Charmed to meet such a talented little musician." He replied before Gila jumped into his arms for a hug. "And here's my little angelfish…"

"Daddy!" Gila cheered as he hugged her back.

"I missed you so much, Gila dear." The Creature said, rubbing her head a bit. "Sorry I'm so late. The underground waterways are plenty convoluted around here. Got lost two or three times." Gila giggled softly as he put her down. "Run along and enjoy the party, dearest. I'll catch up with you in a bit."

"Ok, Daddy." Gila ran off to rejoin her friends, leaving her father and Luna along on the drawbridge.

"She's a sweet kid." Luna commented. "But you know...something's been bugging me, Mr Creature."

"What's up, Luna?"

"My bro told me that Gila was afraid of humans."

"Yeah, but from what my little angelfish tells me, hanging around that Lincoln boy seems to have helped with that."

"Yeah, but what I wanna know is where she got the impression that all us humans would eat her alive as soon as look at her. Who told her the stories?" At that, the fish monster winced, rubbing his left arm as he looked away. "...you didn't…"

"I...may have told my daughter a...few cautionary tales in her younger days...telling her to stay away from humans…and may have...embellished a few details. But it was for her own good!" Luna just face palmed, shaking her head.

"Dude, I understand stories like that are something parents tell all the time...but it sounds like your stories traumatized her, not just cautioned her…"

"I tell a very convincing story…" The Creature said with a nervous grin, which faded in a moment at Luna's disapproving glare. "Ok! Ok! Maybe I went a little too far with the stories to keep her safe…"

"You need to tell her, dude." Luna said, her clenched hands on her hips. "Tell her that the stories weren't true."

"What!?"

"Lincoln may be going a good job helping her get over her phobia, but if she's ever gonna get over it completely, she needs to know, bro. All she needs is your honesty." The Creature sputtered a bit as he tried to speak, but then he sighed, hanging his head.

"You're right...I promise...I'll tell her before I go home." He told her. "Swamp scouts honor."

"Good call, dude." Luna said with a nod. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" She turned back to where Phantasma was getting ready at her piano. "All set, Phanty?"

"Let's rock, Luna!" Phantasma replied, cracking her knuckles (much to Lisa's astonishment). The two then busted out with their own rendition of 'This is Halloween' for all the guests present. Their remarkable playing for the attention of everyone, including the martians. They remained where they were, listening from afar, while Lincoln, Miss Grimwood, Lucy and Harriet all joined the other guests for a better listen.

"My word. Those two together are marvelous…" Harriet commented with a smile, hovering closer, right by Rita.

"They certainly are." Rita agreed, turning to look at her for a moment, looking back at Luna and Phanty's performance, then hastily looking back. "G...G...Grandmother Loud?"

"Hehe. Hello dearie. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Harriet replied, turning to face Rita.

"It has...but...how?" The Loud mother asked in amazement.

"Oh, come now, Rita. You have a daughter who is interested in speaking to spirits and it's Halloween." The long passed grandmother said with a smile. "I asked her to call me forth tonight, so I could see my family again, if even for a single night." Rita slowly reached out her hand to touch the ghost's hand. To her surprise, she could feel it. After a moment of processing it, Rita and Harriet shared a hug. "How is my Grandson doing? I don't see him around…"

"He's at home with the children who couldn't come." Rita explained. "He's...still not a fan of Halloween."

"A pity. But I suppose I can still meet with him, if you don't mind giving me a lift, Rita."

"But of course, Harriet."

"Thank you so much, dear." Harriet said before she and the Loud mother returned to enjoying Phanty and Luna's music.

* * *

Two hours later, the party was starting to wind down, at least for the Louds and Ronnie Anne. Lana and Lola were falling asleep on their feet, Luna was getting too tired to play her guitar, Lucy was longing for her coffin, and even Rita was in need of a cup of coffee. While the Loud kids were lining up for Rita to do a head count, Ronnie Anne snuck up behind Lincoln and whispered into his ear. "It was good seeing you again, Lincoln."

"Likewise, Ronnie Anne." He whispered in return, not looking back lest he give her away to his family.

"I do hope we can get together again soon."

"I think we will." Lincoln replied with a smile. "I have a little surprise for you and my family...but you'll have to wait until you guys get home to get it to keep up appearances."

"...I'm being punished for sneaking here, aren't I?" Ronnie Anne grumbled.

"Hehe. Not by me. At least not intentionally." He whispered back.

"Well, anyway, see you around, Lincoln. I'll give you a call when I get back home."

"Smell you later, Ronnie Anne." Lincoln replied, just as Ronnie Anne snuck a kiss to his cheek. The one son just stood there, stunned for a moment, his cheeks red as Ronnie Anne snuck around past the Louds and into the back of Vanzilla.

"...Lucy, Lana and Lola...That's everyone." Rita said, nodding in a satisfied manner before turning to her son and giving him a big hug. "Good bye, Lincoln dear."

"Bye Lincoln/Linky!" His sisters all said, waving to him.

"Keep in touch, dearie. You know how." Harriet called out as she floated toward the van.

"Oh, before you guys leave...I have a present for you." Lincoln said, holding out a hand to stop them.

"Oh, that's sweet Lincoln..you didn't have to-" Rita started to say.

"Actually, Mom, I did." He interrupted. He looked back toward the window where his room was inside the school and held out his hands. A rectangular wooden box floated out of his window, soaring through the air and right into his outstretched hands.

"That. Was. SO COOL!" Lana exclaimed, a fresh spark of energy surging through her because of the excitement. "Do it again!"

"Hehe. Sorry Lana. Maybe next time...which should be soon thanks to these babies."

"Wait...you have babies in there!? Linky, how could you!?" Leni scolded him, a disapproving frown on his face.

"I believe he is not referring to actual infants, but to whatever surprise he was talking about earlier." Lisa explained to Leni.

"...oooooh. Never mind." Leni giggled a bit, her cheeks flaring lightly.

"...anyway, I made these with a lot of help from Miss Grimwood." Lincoln explained as he opened the box, revealing three crystal orbs the size of shot puts. He took one from the box and handed it to Rita. "They've been enchanted so that, as long as we each have one, I can teleport myself home and back whenever I want, or vice versa."

"Whoa. That's a stroke of genius, Linc." Lynn said with a grin.

"I must concur. Very clever, Lincoln." Lisa agreed, smiling as well.

"Lincoln...that's incredibly thoughtful. Thank you so much!" Rita and all seven sisters all rush over to embrace Lincoln one last time.

"You're all very welcome." Lincoln replied, choking up a bit as he fought back a few tears. "Oh, could you do me a favor before you go?" He asked as they all separated, the young boy opening the box and taking the third orb out. "Could you make sure Ronnie Anne gets this when you get home?" He asked, holding the box out to his sisters.

"Of course, bro." Luna said as she took the container in hand. "It'll be safe with me."

"Thanks. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks Lincoln. Good night, and we hope you continue enjoying yourself here." Rita said as she started corralling the kids onto Vanzilla.

"That reminds me, Mom...can I got to Grimwood's next year?" Lucy suddenly asked. Rita paused a moment as she thought it over. Perhaps it was because she had a chance to meet Miss Grimwood and her students, as well as their parents, in person, or how much Lincoln was enjoying his time there, or maybe she was just getting over tired, but she was seriously considering it.

"We'll have to discuss it with Miss Grimwood and your father on Sunday...but I think we'll make something work." She told her, the little goth suddenly giving her a hug. "Oh my goodness...someone get a picture, quick!" The girls all laugh, Rita and Lucy eventually climbed into the car. Leni leans back in her seat, resting her arm on the back when she noticed Ronnie Anne crouched in the very back seats.

"Oh! There you are, Ronnie Anne!" She said excitedly, taking the box from Luna and handing it down to the city girl trying to stay hidden. "Lincoln made a present for you."

"Leni!" RA yelled, angrily glaring at the girl who blew her cover as Vanzilla drove away. Lincoln face palmed with a sigh before he walked back toward the party. He was getting pretty tired, but he wanted to say good night to his friends before he turned in.


	18. Chapter 18: Suburban Legends

_AN: A Halloween adventure with Zanya and her friends. I will probably do one or two more filler chapters with Grimwood and Royal Woods before I get back to the main story (lest I'm unable to think of anything)._

* * *

Suburban Legends

With Zanya's true self now very public knowledge, her life in Royal Woods became rather different. Well, at least at school. With no further need to keep her zombiehood a secret, she was finally allowed to participate in gym and recess with her classmates. Not only that, but Zanya didn't have to sneak around in order to go to soccer practice. Her classmates and fellow students seemed cool with her being undead, with a few being wary and most just not caring. The only one left inside the school to be really bothered was the librarian, who treated her with an even greater level of suspicion than she would any other student. Outside of school was more or less the same; the people of the town were more or less accepting of her, with some parents being kind of nervous around her but treating her in a civil manner. However, there was one evening where she ended up becoming the most popular girl at school: Halloween. All the kids were clambering to get her to attend their Halloween party; after all, what's more spooky than having a real life zombie at your party, even if she is really nice? However, she had already accepted an invite from her close friend, Chandler, who had gotten to her a week before everyone else. Zanya and the Louds that had remained behind had the evening all planned out: Zanya, Lori, Luan and Lily would trick or treat with Trent and Bobby (who was visiting along with Ronnie Anne) before the party and drop her off at Chandler's house while Lori and Bobby would go off on a Halloween date and Luan went to a costume party at her friend Giggles'. The little zombie was getting very excited as she got into her star fleet science officer costume, eager to go trick or treating for the first time in a long time. Meanwhile, down in the kitchen. "Thank you so much for chaperoning the girls tonight, Trent…" Lynn Sr said as he sipped on a cup of herbal tea in an attempt to calm his nerves, sitting at the kitchen counter. Zanya's detective father just smiled to him, dressed as an old west bounty hunter.

"No sweat, Lynn." He replied. "It's been way too long since I've taken my little princess trick or treating. Besides, I have some investigating to do after I drop Luan off at her party."

"Investigating?"

"Yeah. As I told you a couple days back, I'm part of the CIA's Supernatural Happenings division. It's my job to look into incidents of a...well...supernatural nature. And I've heard reports of some odd sightings lately in the woods on the south side of town."

"Really? Do you think it would be dangerous for our children?" Lynn Sr asked, shaking a little.

"I doubt it." Trent answered. "In most cases, it's just a wild goose chase, or someone trying to get their names in the papers or on the news. An easy paycheck, but kind of a pain in the neck."

"I wouldn't complain, Trent." Cynthia said, stepping into the kitchen, wearing a cybernetic alien being costume. "If it weren't, you might have to encounter something potentially hostile."

"Your concern is appreciated, sweetheart, but I can take care of myself."

"Heh. You can't even make your morning cup of coffee yourself." She teased.

"And you can't cook. What's your point?" He countered with a playful smirk. Cynthia huffed as she crossed her arms, looking pretty pouty.

"It's not my fault kitchens are evil…."

"At any rate, I wouldn't worry any more than you already are, Lynn." Trent said, trying to reassure him. "Odds are, all I'm gonna find is some goof trying to be the next skunkape or Roswell."

* * *

"Zanya! Are you ready?" Lori called out up the stairs, dressed as a witch, carrying Lily, who was dressed as a cat. Not far away, Luan was practicing her routine while dressed as Mr Coconuts, while her dummy was dressed like her.

"I'm telling ya, toots. This is yer daffiest idea yet." Luan said through her little wooden friend's mouth. "Who's gonna believe I'm you and yer me?"

"No one, if you keep up that wooden delivery." Luan responded, laughing a bit as her dummy slowly turned to look at her with a 'seriously?' look.

"On second thought, maybe they will, with that block head of yers."

"I'm coming." Zanya said, emerging from Lincoln's room and hurrying down the stairs.

"Hey, nice costume, space cadet." Mr Coconuts commented.

"Resistance is futile…" Cynthia said in a dead, robotic voice from behind Zanya. "You will be hugged!" She broke character as she fell into a fit of giggles, hugging her daughter from behind.

"Hehehehehehehehe! Going as a Droid this year, Mom?" Zanya asked, giggling like mad herself.

"Well, you beat me to Mr Speck." She responded, setting her daughter down.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Mrs Talon?" Lori offered as Luan handed our trick or treat bags.

"Positive, Lori. I'm just gonna stay here and hand out treats..and a few tricks if need be. You kids have fun now."

"We will, Mom!" Zanya said as the four girls and Mr Talon exited the Loud House into the crisp dusk air. Lori led the way down the street, passing right by their neighbor's house. "Aren't we going to stop here first?"

"Not at Mr Grouse's." Lori replied.

"He doesn't like Halloween?"

"Oh no. He does. But he prefers the 'trick' half of trick or treat." Luan cautioned. "I knocked on his door once and he dumped a bucket of minnows on me. In hindsight, I should have found the situation a 'little fishy'. Hahahaha!"

"And one time when Lucy tried to trick or treat at his house, he had spring loaded spiders set up to jump on her….though she probably took that as a treat." Lori explained.

"And I don't think anyone will forget the rock he put in that one kid's sack." Luan said through Mr Coconuts. "That was just stone cold."

"Ok. Pointed noted." Zanya said, looking back at the house.

"Ah, yer no fun!" Mr Grouse shouted, emerging from the bushes carrying a hose before he ducked back down. They moved a bit more hastily away from his house to the next house. Lori took the lead once more, knocking on the door.

"Trick or treat!" She cheered, holding up a sack.

"Oh, how precious. A witch and her adorable little familiar." An elderly woman cooed, petting a giggling Lily on the head. "But aren't you a little old for trick or treating, dear?"

"I'm helping my baby sister." Lori explained, the baby Loud in her arms nodding in agreement.

"Now that is sweet. Here you go." She said, putting a handful of candy into the sack.

"Thank you."

"Daa Doo!"

"You're most welcome." She said as Lori departed and Luan and Mr Coconuts took her place. Luan stood still as a dummy, moving only her mouth to say, in her dummy's voice.

"Trick or treat."

"Oh, that is clever." She commented with a smile, putting a few treats into both her's and the dummy's bags.

"Thank you." Came Mr Coconut's voice from Luan.

"And thank you." Luan said through Mr Coconuts. The dummy tugged on Luan's arm to get her to move away as Zanya stepped forward.

"Greetings. I believe this is the part of the quaint Earth ritual where I exclaim trick or treat." Zanya said in a deadpan voice, like the Star Journey character she was impersonating.

"Oh ho ho. Mr Speck..I haven't seen that costume in so long. Here's some for you, precious." The silver haired woman said as she gave Zanya a handful of candy.

"Thank you. Live long and thrive." Zanya said, doing the vulcan sign, breaking character long enough to giggle as she walked away. "Oh, I missed doing this."

"You don't get to trick or treat at Miss Grimwood's?" Luan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, there's nothing really stopping us from trying, but the nearest town is a bit of a hike for trick or treating." The zombie girl explained. "Not only that, but the Open House can be a lot of fun too."

* * *

The next two hours was spent with the girls collecting as much candy as they could, filling their pillowcases before they returned home to drop off their hauls (and Lily). From there, Lori went off with Bobby (who had dressed up as shaolin monk), and Trent took Luan and Zanya in his car. This first stop was at Chandler's place, where a Halloween party was in full swing. Children from grades 5 to 8 in costume were all over the place; in the front yard, inside the house, in the backyard. Music could be heard from inside. "This looks like the place. You be good, princess."

"I will, Dad. Be careful in your investigation." Zanya responded, giving her father a big hug.

"Always." Trent said, hugging her in return. He watched for a moment to make sure she met up with Chandler and got inside alright, taking a moment to take note of his appearance.

"Zanya! Glad you could come, gorgeous." Chandler commented with a smile, donning the uniform of a spartan warrior. Zanya blushes a little before giving him a hug.

"Hello Chandler. Wouldn't miss it for all the chocolate in Switzerland." She replied. "Looks like just about everyone from school is here."

"And then some." The popular boy said, just as Clyde and Girl Jordan ran over. Clyde was disguised as The Card Shark, and Jordan as an MMA fighter.

"Hey there, Zan!" Jordan said with a big smile.

"Nice Costume." Clyde commented. "Mr Speck, right?"

"Right on. And you're….um…." Zanya was a little lost, only being familiar with the old live action Ace Savvy.

"The Card Shark." He replied with a chuckle. "Come on. The others are already here." He motions her to follow.

"I'll catch up in a moment, Zanya. Have a few more guests to greet." Chandler said, doing the finger gun thing that always made the zombie girl giggle. She waved to him before following her two friends to meet with Lincoln's other friends and a girl she hadn't met before. She was wearing the outfit of an old timey mortician, her long black hair covering one eye. Something about her look reminded her greatly of Lucy.

"There ya are, Zanya." Liam said, fidgeting a bit in his scarecrow costume.

"Glad you could make it, Zan." Zach said cheerfully, wearing a UFO like a pair of hula hoop pants.

"Looking good, Zan." Rusty commented, looking like a 70's disco star. He knew that Zanya and Chandler were kind of dating, but he still had his hopes as he winked to her.

"A pleasure to meet you at last." The goth girl replied, walking over to her. "I'm Haiku."

"Zanya. Pleased to meet you as well."

"Pardon my excessive excitement…" She said in a deadpan tone. "...but meeting a real life zombie. I never imagined that would happen."

"Hehehe. Don't worry about it. By the way, do you happen to know Lucy Loud?" This brought a very small smile to her face.

"I do. She is my friend and fellow member of the Young Mortician's Club." Haiku responded with a nod.

"Er...iffin' ya don't mind mah asking…" Liam asked, a little nervous and confused. "...but how exactly does one get into that? Ah mean, it's a necessary job and all...it just...doesn't seem like a first choice to me." Lucy's friend slowly turned to him, causing the little boy to flinch and back up. "Er….forget I-"

"No. It's fine, Liam." Haiku interrupted him. "We all hear that question a lot. And truth be told, I think the only one in the group who really wishes to become a mortician in the future is Lucy. Our group is more to share our love for the macabre with like minded individuals."

"Oh..well, alrighty then."

"Care for a Halloween treat, kids?" Chandler's mother asked with a big smile as she walked over with a tray full of chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing in the form of jack o lanterns.

"Mmmmmm. Don't mind if we do, Ma'am. Thank you." Zanya said as she and her friends each took a cupcake. They were halfway through their confections and discussing their trick or treating adventures before the party when Chandler joined them with a big grin.

"Enjoying yourselves so far?"

"Oh yes." Zanya replied with a big smile.

"Thanks for inviting us." Girl Jordan added, wiping some frosting from her upper lip.

"The music is a little loud, but the ambiance is superb." Haiku said in a deadpan voice.

"Glad to hear it." Chandler replied, putting an arm around the lass from Grimwood. "Hope you're all ready for some scares...because we're going to be telling some ghost stories out by the campfire soon."

"Ghost stories...my favorite." The goth girl said with a smile.

"Did someone say...ghost stories?" A nearby girl asked, getting their attention. She was a tall girl, clearly in her teens, with curly red hair and bluish gray eyes. She was wearing the outfit of gypsy fortune teller. "Because I have a true scary story that is sure to chill your blood."

"Really?" Clyde asked, a slight waiver in his voice.

"A true story?" Haiku inquired with interest.

"Well, you got me curious." Zach said, grinning. "What's it about?"

"It's a legend regarding the nearby forest, and the centuries old monster that lives there…" The teen explained, extending her hand to point out the back window. She turned back to her young audience and noticed Haiku was missing.

"Wait at we waiting for." Came her voice from the back door, startling everyone present. She had the door open and was already exiting the house. Lincoln's friends looked at one another, shrugged and went out to join her, followed closely by the middle school girl.

"...who is that girl, Chandler?" Zanya asked, not having see her before.

"Her name is Miranna Talbot. I don't know her that well, but her parents are friends with my parents, so she got an invite when they did." The brown haired boy responded with a shrug. "Come on. Let's go hear her story and see if it's as spooky as she says." Zanya nods lightly as he took her hand and escorted her to the door.

* * *

Out in the backyard, the small group of friends, Haiku and this mysterious middle schooler were all gathered around the electric campfire. "Alright. Here we are, all around the campfire. Please, tell us of this legend you speak of." The long haired goth girl said, eager to hear what the curly haired girl had to say.

"Ok. But you all asked for it." Miranna said with a grin, rubbing her hands. "This is the tale of the Cackling Woods."

"The Cacklin' Woods? That don't sound too scary." Liam commented, picking a few pieces of straw from his costume.

"I thought so too...but I have a good reason for believing now." The girl said, leaning in closer to the light to get a spooky light effect on her face. "This tale started several hundred years ago….back during the time of the pilgrims. Much like these days, while the grown ups work, the children would play. However, they were warned to stay away from the woods. Of course, there were the usual warnings; wolves, unfriendly natives, the usual. But the family of one little boy and girl warned them of something different. A creature that prowled the woods in the dead of the night. The monster that lurked among the trees. The only way they would know it was near was by its mad cackling."

"Is there a description of the monster?" Zanya asked curiously. She was wondering if it was a monster she was familiar with.

"No. The only ones who ever saw the monster were its victims. And unfortunately for the brother and sister pair, the sister fell prey to the creature's wrath when the two foolishly entered the woods late into the night. It happened so quick. One moment, they were wandering through the darkened forest. The next, his sister vanished screaming into the leaves and twigs. The brother cried her name, but that nearly got him captured by the creature. He was forced to run away, but as he did, he heard the voice of his sister; joining the mad laughter of the monster."

"W...what happened next?" Clyde asked in a shaky voice.

"The boy told his parents, who gathered together the other grown ups. They formed a militia to find and destroy the monster in the light of day. However, the beast was clever and knew it couldn't face an entire town with of adults in the day. It was forced to flee its home, though its victim from the previous night was never seen or heard from again."

"And what does that have to do with the woods over there?" Haiku asked, directing their attention to the dark forest past the back gate.

"I'm glad you asked. You see, the creature travelled northwest, under the cover of night, seeking a new, shadowy forest with which to call home." Miranna explained with a sinister grin."And the place this monstrosity calls home...is right here, in Royal Woods."

'How convenient…' The zombie girl thought, the story losing her quickly.

"You mean….in there?" Rusty asked, pointing a shaky finger out into the dark distance.

"Exactly."

"And how do you know this?" Zanya piped up, asking one of the many questions that this story brought to her. She wasn't alone in her skepticism either. Haiku looked equally unconvinced, and Chandler just looked bored.

"...because my little brother was one of her victims…just the other night. He went out for mischief night. I tried to stop him, but he ran away from me...right into those woods. I lost sight of him, but a few minutes after he vanished, his insane laughter filled the woods."

"Her? You never mentioned the creature's gender before…" Haiku pointed out.

"Also, how do you know your brother wasn't pulling your leg?" Girl Jordan added.

"My parents thought the same thing….but he never came back home."

"At the risk of sounding insensitive, this is ridiculous." Zanya finally said, her patience hanging by a thread as she got to her feet.

"Are you denying the existence of the monster!?" Miranna asked angrily.

"I would be the last person to deny the existence of any monster. What I deny is there being such a monster in those specific woods." Zanya elaborated.

"W...Well, there had been a few peculiar disappearances lately…" Clyde nervously said. "A few kids from school absent for the last day or two." The curly haired middle schooler smirked lightly.

"Thank you. See?" She said, gesturing toward the nervous nerd.

"Circumstantial evidence." Haiku said flatly. "I'm not saying your wrong, but I need more evidence before I get my hopes up."

"Hmph! Well, how about I show you where my brother disappeared!?" Miranna snapped angrily.

"Fine by me." Zanya said, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Fine!" The storyteller looked to the others. "Anyone else want to come see the monster!?"

"I do." Haiku held up a hand as she stood up.

"Count me in." Girl Jordan interjected. "If anything else, a monster hunt makes for a great halloween activity….er….sorry, Zanya. That came out wrong…."

"It's ok, Jordan. I know what you meant."

"I'm in." Chandler said. "Can't let you ladies go out there all by your lonesome."

"I...I guess I'm in too." Clyde stammered, standing up. The six of them waited a moment to see if there were going to be any more volunteers. When no one spoke up, Miranna said.

"Alright then..let's go." She said, a look of angry determination on her face as she led the group right into the forest. Clyde, fortunately, had taken a flashlight with him when he trick or treated, so he had a light to guide the way, along with Miranna and Jordan's cell phone lights.

"So….Haiku….do you really think there is a child kidnapping monster out there?" Clyde whispered, trying not to let Zanya hear him.

"Truthfully...I doubt it." She whispered back."I mean, I would love there to be a monster out here. But considering these 'disappearances' have only happened over the last few days, I think the odds of there being a monster that has existed here since the Colonial days is slim to none."

"Yeah, I guess….and even if there is a monster, there's no guarantee that it's a child kidnapper...I mean, Zanya and her friends are monsters, and they're nice, right?" Clyde asked with a nervous smile. Haiku nodded with a smile, and she wasn't the only one. The girl from Grimwood also heard him and was just as happy about it. Not every monster was evil and, while she had a feeling there was nothing out there, she would aim to prove it if there was. There was mostly silence as the six of them walked through the woods; Zanya and Jordan strode forth with confidence, Miranna looking indignant, Clyde walks nervously, staying close to Haiku, who was trying to comfort him (and blushing a little), and Chandler was on guard, holding his plastic shield and spear at the ready. They were walking for about ten minutes when Haiku raised a hand.

"What is it?" Chandler asked, very much on edge.

"I hear something….something snickering nearby…"

"It must be the creature from the Cackling Woods…." Clyde whispered fearfully.

'I wish…' Haiku thought to herself. Just then, the snickering grew louder.

"Is that the sign you were talking about?" Zanya asked, her eyes scanning around the surrounding shadows.

"No...it doesn't sound right…" Miranna replied, sounding fearful as two large figures could be seen stepping out of the darkness.

"Well well...look what we have here…" Came the voice of Hank as he stepped into the light with Hawk, smirking as he cracked his knuckles.

"You!?" Zanya shouted, clenching her fists.

"Not these guys again…" Clyde moaned.

"You know these goons?" Miranna asked, quickly hiding behind Girl Jordan, who had adopted a fighting stance.

"They're from Hazeltuckey….they come by every so often to make our lives miserable…" Clyde explained, shaking like a leaf, but trying to stand between them and Haiku.

"They also almost starved me to death at the Royal Woods Mall…" Zanya growled as she glared at them.

"They did that!?" Chandler asked, narrowing his eyes at them, baring his teeth.

"Whoa! All we did was steal some food." Hawk said. "Just like how we're gonna steal your candy right now."

"Does it look like we have any candy, you dimwits!?" Girl Jordan asked angrily.

"Well, then we're just going to have to pound you midgets…" Hank chuckled cruelly.

"Stay back, guys. I got this…" Zanya told her friends and Miranna, her eyes glowing.

"Zanya, you can't handle the both of them…" Haiku said quietly.

"Actually….Zanya's a lot stronger than she looks." Clyde whispered to her. "She once kicked a steel locker right off a locker…"

"Hahahaha! She thinks she can take us!" Hank held his gut as he laughed. "Hawk, why don't you warm up on her?! I'm too busy busting a gut!"

"Sure thing, buddy." Hawk grinned as he stomped toward Zanya in an attempt to intimidate her. He was so cocky, he never saw the right hook coming. The force of the punch sent Hawk flying right back into the nearest tree. His back hit the trunk with enough force to knock it slanted and leave the big goon dazed. Hank's jaw dropped as he looked between his fellow football player, and the angry zombie girl. Miranna and Haiku were equally shocked at her strength.

"H….How did you do that!?"

"Come here and I'll show you!" She yelled, storming right toward him. Hank took the offensive, throwing a punch with his pudgy fist. She raised her hands in front of her, stopping the assault easily. Then, she grabbed hold of his hand and started to squeeze.

"Ow. Ow...Ow! OOOW!" Hank howled in pain, forced to his knees by the zombie girl.

"You know...a part of me thinks we should probably do something." Clyde commented as he watched the scene unfold.

"Yeah, probably." Jordan agreed with a grin.

"But by the same token...he had it coming." Chandler said, unable to take his eyes off what was happening.

"Indeed...but Zanya wouldn't be happy if she did serious harm to him, would she?" Haiku reasoned.

"Yeah, you're right." Clyde and Jordan said together. The bespectacled boy took a deep breath and approached his undead friend from behind. "Zanya…." She turned to look at him, her eyes glowing bright green, causing him to flinch. "I think he's had enough…." He added nervously. The zombie girl glared at Hank, then at her friend. Her eyes slowly returned to normal as she let the bully go.

"If you ever mess with me or my friends again…" She warned him.

"N….No no….miss…." Hank replied in utter terror. "I won't…I mean, we won't!"

"Zanya…." Chandler said, in a state of awe.

"Chandler, I'm sorry to had to see…" She started to say, turning her back to the cowering bruiser. However, the popular boy placed a finger on her lips.

"...you have GOT to show me how to get that strong." The brown haired boy said with a smirk. Zanya blinked for a moment, then smiled lightly at him.

"You know….I get the impression we were set up." Girl Jordan said, turning her attention to Miranna, sneering at her.

"What? No!" The teen said, shaking her hands as she held them between herself and the angry brunette.

"Then explain to me how we ran into these gorillas when you offered to lead us to a 'monster'!?"

"I swear! They weren't part of the plan!" She shouted before she hastily covered her mouth.

"Plan? What plan!?" Clyde asked. Before they could do anything further, Hawk was suddenly yanked to the leaves above by a powerful force.

"Hawk!" Hank shouted as his friend vanished. The young nerd gasped just as he felt something sticky on the top of his head, mere seconds before he was yanked upward.

"Clyde!" Haiku, Zanya and Jordan all screamed, Girl Jordan leaping to action and grabbing his ankles. She pulled as hard as she could, but to no avail. Both suddenly vanished into the darkness above.

"Jordan!" Zanya spun around, glaring at Miranna, her eyes glowing. "You better explain yourself…."

"I...I had to do it...she took me and my little brother...she said she would let us go if I lured more kids to her…" Miranna rambled in fear, backing away from the furious zombie.

"Who!? Who took them!? Who did you have a deal with!?"

"I don't know her name...but her lair is that way...just follow the mad cackling…" She pointed further into the forest.

"You're coming with us…" Haiku said, swooping over to grab her wrist. Before Miranna could protest, the Young Mortician's Club member started to drag her along, right behind Zanya and Chandler, leaving the stunned, frightened Hank alone.

* * *

Clear on the other side of town, Trent Talon was cautiously walking through the woods, a flashlight in one hand, his revolver in the other. He doubted he would find anything worth worrying about, at least from a supernatural perspective, but he wasn't about to take too many chances. For all he knew, there could be a gang of criminals setting up shop out here, or a hardened con out for revenge. Whatever it may be, he was ready, or so he hoped. It was times like this when he would regret the fact he couldn't call for backup. Why? Because he was the sole investigator for the Supernatural Happenings. He was the only detective the agency could find who really believed in such things. He sighed quietly, but continued along until he stumbled into some hanging spider web. "Ugh…..damn it…..there are so many creepy things in the world...why does it need spiders?" He asked himself, pulling the sticky strands from off his face. He grumbles quietly as he shined his light around. The whole forest canopy overhead was covered in webbing; far too much for a typical spider, or even a cluster of spiders. Perhaps there was something to these complaints. He cocked the hammer of his weapon as he continued his search. Little did he know that while he was investigating, something far above was keeping a careful eye on him. It carefully lowered itself down, the only noise made being the crunching of leaves. This was enough to make Trent turn quickly, aiming his light and his gun in front of him.

The light revealed to him a large woman/spider hybrid creature, who was shielding her eyes from the sudden light. Her torso was that of a pale woman, with long black hair, beetle black eyes, and a shapely figure. She wore a tank top made of her own webbing. Everything below her hips was that of a giant black widow spider. She hisses at him threateningly as he took a step back. "For your sake, you better come in peace…"

"For your own sake, you better lower your weapon…." She replied in an angry tone, lowering her arm. The two simply glared at one another before Trent slowly took the barrel of his gun off of her. The woman seemed to relax a little.

"Alright then...what's your story…?" The detective asked cautiously.

* * *

Back with the children, Zanya was leading the way through the dark woods, trying to let her ears guide her more than her sight. Right behind her were Haiku and Miranna, the former dragging the latter along for the ride. Taking up the rear to ensure she wouldn't get away and nothing tries to ambush them was Chandler. Much to the zombie girl's consternation, she couldn't hear a thing even in the dead silence of the woods. 'Come on...give us some kind of sign..' She thought desperately. Just then, she heard some deep, howling laughter coming from the northwest. It didn't sound like Jordan or Clyde, but it was a clue to Zanya. 'Ask and ye shall receive.' She thought as she changed course. Several seconds into her run, she started to notice there was a lot more cobwebs and spider webs hanging from and between the trees. She didn't let that even slow her down, much less stop her, tearing right through them to make a path for her friends. After two minutes (roughly), the howling laughter stopped, only to be replaced by two new sounds of hysterics; coming from Clyde and Girl Jordan….and it was close. 'Hang in there! We're coming!' Zanya increased her pace as she saw a thick wall of webbing right in front of her. Her glowing eyes narrowed in determination as she charged forward and plowed right through the sticky mass, getting only a few strands stuck in her hair and costume in the process. She hastily surveyed the scene in the clearing before looking up at the canopy, where she found something that surprised her. Hanging from the trees in silky cocoons were children of varying ages, most of which asleep or passed out. Hawk was among them, though he was more playing possum than anything else. At the very center of the web lined overhang was probably the most surprising sight. A young, teenage spider girl was sitting between Clyde, who was suspended upside down, almost entirely cocooned and barefoot, and Girl Jordan, who was hanging by her webbed up arms. Both were laughing their heads off as the spider girl tickled the young boy's feet and the tough girl's underarm. The spider/human hybrid had dark gray hair done in a pair of pig tails that hung down to her back, was quite pale and kind of thin. She was wearing a grayish white t-shirt that looked like it was made from spider silk. Her pale green eyes glanced between her captives beside her while she grinned.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaahahahaaha come on!" Clyde pleaded while he laughed. "Stop it hahahahahahahaha!"

"Whehehehehehehehen I get out of this hahahahahaha you're gonna be sorry!" Girl Jordan shouted.

"You keep saying that, but it's not going to happen." The arachnotaur replied in a surprising soft voice. Her eyes glanced down to where Zanya was standing, with the others close behind her. "Oh wonderful. More playmates." She commented, her grin growing as she hopped from her web down to the ground.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Zanya asked. As angry as she was right now, the last thing she wanted to do was escalate the situation. Not with her friends trapped like that.

"I am Wendalyn, and this is my home." She answered her, gesturing to the webbed up clearing around them.

"There really was a monster in these woods…" Haiku muttered, both terrified and feeling like it was a dream come true (which weren't usually mutually exclusive for her).

"And Miranna..so good to see you again. And you brought some more friends to play with me. Thank you so much."

"Friends to play with?" Chandler asked suspiciously, keeping his plastic shield up as he glanced up at the webbed up victims of Wendalyn. "They don't look like they're playing…"

"They're just all tuckered out. What can I say? I play rough." The monster spider girl shrugged, grinning at them.

"You better not have hurt them!" Zanya shouted, clenching her fists.

"Why would I want to do that?" Wendalyn asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's not fun."

"Wait...she isn't going to eat us?" Hawk asked, opening one eye and blowing his cover.

"Hey! I thought you passed out!" The bulky bully gasped and quickly shut his eyes. "But to answer your question, no. I don't eat meat, least of all people. I prefer juicy fruits."

"Then...you kidnap kids….really for fun?" Chandler asked, lowering his guard in his confusion.

"What choice do I have!?" Wendalyn snapped loudly. "I try to approach them, they scream and run away! I try and tell them I don't mean them any harm….I tell them I just want to play with them...but no...they treat me like a monster!"

"But, you are a monster, species wise." Haiku commented.

"Well, yes, but not a monster monster!" Wendalyn shouted, tears starting to form. She sniffled a bit, then wiped the tears from her eyes. "Nevermind that though..now it's playtime!"

"We don't have to do this, Wendalyn…" Zanya said, but the strand of thread headed right for her told the Grimwood girl otherwise. She raised her arm in defense, letting the sticky silk cling to her forearm. The eight legged lass pulled hard, causing Zanya to stumble forward. However, she managed to remain standing, grabbing the strand in one of her hands and pulling back. Wendalyn was dragged across the dirt, much to her shock.

"Don't let her tickle you!" Girl Jordan warned from her suspended position.

"Why? Is it the source of her powers?" Haiku asked curiously.

"No. She's just way too good at it and utterly ruthless." Clyde answered.

"Thank you." Wendalyn said with a grin. The two monster girls struggle in a sort of tug of war, the two seemingly evenly matched. The spider girl wiggled her fingers threateningly at Zanya as she jerked on the webbing from her spinneret. She made her opponent flinch, but then the ghoul gal's eyes radiated with a green light as she grabbed the thread with both hands. With one mighty yank, Wendalyn was pulled off her spidery legs, flying right at her. With exceptional agility, the arachnotaur shot a sticky thread into the thick ceiling of web above them, letting her swing over the heads of Zanya and the crew. Wendalyn flipped in midair and landed hard against an old dead tree, causing it to creek and shudder before she leaped back to the ground. "Not trying that again...she's strong...too strong to be human…"

"Wendalyn, listen to me. We don't have to fight." Zanya told her, pulling the webbing off her arm.

"I'm not fighting. I'm trying to play. YOU'RE the only one who sees this as a fight."

"Actually, it looks like fighting to me too." Clyde commented.

"Same here." Girl Jordan agreed.

"What I wouldn't give for some popcorn…" Hawk said quietly.

"Looks like a fight to me." Chandler added.

"REGARDLESS...just let the kids go. We can talk it over with the parents and other kids. I'm sure if you explain your side to them-"

"Hah! They'll run me right out of town if I tried that! Like I told you, they think I'm a monster!"

"So? I'm a monster, too." Zanya told her, this information throwing the spider gal off. "I'm a zombie, but the people of Royal Woods accepted me...eventually. And my friends here…" She indicated Chandler, Clyde, and Jordan. "...they accepted me right from the get go."

"...because you aren't half spider…" Wendalyn retorted sourly. "You look close enough to human."

"So do you, at least from the waist up." Zanya responded. "A darn sight closer than I do with these stitches." SHe lowered the neck of her costume to show her the stitches holding her neck in place. "You need to give the humans a chance...yes, their initial reaction will be fearful. Even the Louds, whom I live with, were kind of scared of me when we first met, but now...they're like a second family to me. Now please...let the others go. I'll stand by you; talk to the townsfolk right with you." She offered, extending a hand of peace to Wendalyn. She looked back at the zombie girl, skittering forward a bit as if she were going to take her hand. However, before their hands could touch, she surprised her with a sudden wave of web, binding her arms to her sides. "Wha...hey!"

"hehehe. All's fair in love in love and war." Her eight legged opponent said, smirking as she approached the ensnared ghoul girl. Before she got too close, Chandler jumped in between them, holding his prop shield in front of him.

"You aren't getting past me…" Wendalyn simply laughed, throwing a net of silk at him. Thankfully, his shield was the only thing that got stuck. This did give the spider girl the chance to disarm him, though, pulling his one defense away with a simple tug. Yet, in her overconfidence, she neglected to factor where the shield would go. The hunk of plastic flew right into her face. The toy shield wasn't heavy enough to hurt, but it did disorient the monster spider/human hybrid long enough for Chandler to make a move; leaping onto the back of Wendalyn and trying to put her into a full nelson. The two wrestled about the clearing, with the spider woman slamming her lower half into the old tree she had hit earlier. The trunk cracked some at the point of impact. With the creature distracted, Haiku took the opportunity to gather up some of the silk on the ground and Zanya tried to break free of her bindings. The goth girl tied together the webbing and then formed a sort of lasso at one end. She knew her knots weren't the greatest, but she felt it should hold long for what she needed to do. She tossed the loop into Wendalyn's path as their struggling continued. One of her thin legs stepped into it and Haiku pulled with all her might. Success! The knot held and the loop snared one of her legs. With one of her creeping appendages caught, Haiku set the next phase of her plan into action: tying all eight legs. Keeping a low profile, she started to circle Wendalyn, who was so focused on getting the annoyance off her back that she didn't notice was Haiku was up to.

"I've had just about enough of you…" The half spider growled. She made a move to hurl her back into a tree to knock him off, but she couldn't. It was then she grew wise to the silk around her spider legs. "Huh? Oh, that's real cute…" She turned her head toward Haiku, who was off to her right. "Well, I got a few cute tricks of my own." She smirked as she shot some webbing right at Haiku, sticking right to her arm. With a sharp yank, Haiku was pulled right off her feet and flung right into Chandler. The two kids were knocked off her back and into the same old tree from before. Wendalyn gasped as Chandler and Haiku struck the tree and fell to the ground. "Oh...I didn't mean to hurt you like that...I'm sor-" Her apology was cut short by the sound of loud, creaking wood. The ancient, dead tree had finally hit it's limit and was starting to fall, right over the three of them. Still stunned from the impact, Chandler and Haiku couldn't get away, and neither could Wendalyn with her legs bound. In one swift action, the spider girl released a net of webbing and flung the two children clear, right into a pile of fallen leaves. However, she had no time to save herself. She held her arms in front of her face in a futile attempt to protect herself, closing her eyes and bracing for the impending impact. She waited….and waited….and waited. She slowly opened one eye, wondering to herself what had happened. Her jaw hung open as she saw the large tree mere inches from her head, being held in place by Zanya, her eyes a bright green and the remains of her silky prison hanging from her body. "You…..you saved me…"

"Yes, I did…." Zanya replied through gritted teeth, straining to keep the chunk of wood from falling upon them. "Hurry and get out of the way….I can't hold this thing forever…" She groaned. Wendalyn nodded shakily. Without the ability to move her legs, she had to crawl as quick as she could out of the way. Once she was clear, Zanya dropped the old hunk of wood onto the forest floor, panting from the effort. "Is...everyone...alright?"

"Yeah…." Wendalyn said, trembling like a little rabbit.

"Like new…" Chandler groaned as he stood up, trying to look tough for Zanya.

"I believe so..." Haiku responded, picking leaves from her hair. "...thanks to Wendalyn."

"I'm terribly sorry about that….I didn't wish for that to happen…" The spider gal said sadly, hanging her head. "I just wanted someone to play with...I've been alone for so long…"

"Well, if you've been around for centuries, I could see that…" Haiku said, Chandler helping her up.

"Centuries? I haven't been here for centuries. I'm only 13 years old."

"That was just a story…" Miranna admitted, looking equally saddened. "I told it to get you guys curious and get you all to follow me to her…"

"I've been here only about a week and then some...after I got lost…." The spider girl explained as Zanya broke the strands holding her legs.

"Lost?" Clyde asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Then why did you decide to stay here?" Chandler asked angrily as the last of the web was torn from her legs.

"I didn't know where else to go...it was nice and dark here, with access to plenty of fruit trees and berries...and kids would sometimes play in these woods…"

"I think the more important question is how you got lost." Zanya said. "But first, please get everyone down from up there…" The spider woman as she lifted herself back up to her web. Using her long nails, she cut her captives free, one by one, before lowering them to the ground. First Clyde, then Girl Jordan, etc. Among them was a little boy with short red hair done in a ponytail and freckles on his cheeks.

'Chester!" Miranna cried out as she ran over to hug the little boy.

"Sis!" He hugged her back, tears in his eyes. "You were right...it was bad news to go out on mischief night…."

"This one too?" Wendalyn asked, standing beside the shaking Hawk (the last one hanging). Zanya taps her chin a bit as she looked at the Hazeltuckey bully pensively. She had no intention of leaving him up there, but she was enjoying watching the goon sweat.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeell…." She said, hesitating on purpose. "...I suppose." The spider girl nodded, cutting the brute free and lowering him down to the ground. He promptly made himself scarce, looking for his buddy back in the woods. "Now, how exactly did you get lost?"

"I was travelling with my mother late at night about a little over a week ago..." Wendalyn started to explain as Haiku and Jordan started to escort the others away. "...we chose to travel by night because we prefer the darkness and it made it less likely we would be seen. We had just reached this little town, Royal Woods, when we ran into a hunting party. They mistook us for deer and shot at us. Mother told me to run; said she would lure them away...so I did...I ran and jumped through the trees for what felt like hours...the gunshots growing more and more faint...I only stopped when my legs couldn't carry me any further and I didn't hear any more shots being fired. I hid away in the tallest tree I could find until the next night. I waited and waited for my Mother to come find me...but she never came. I decided it was best that I find a dark place to hide...I spent hours searching these woods until I came across this clearing. Another hour of work, and I made it like home...and it's here I've stayed until recently, when the loneliness started to really get to me…"

"And that's when you started approaching the kids who played in the woods from time to time?" Zanya inquired.

"Yes...but as I said earlier...it went poorly. Between that, not knowing where my mother is, being lost and alone in a place unknown to me...I guess I just kind of snapped…"

"I guess I could see that." Clyde said, putting his shoes back on. "All that emotional stress...could happen to anyone."

"...so where do we go from here, Zan?" Chandler asked in a whisper, keeping his eye on Wendalyn.

"...Wendalyn….can I call you Wendy?" Zanya said after a moment's contemplation. The spider girl nodded glumly. "Wendy, my offer still stands. We can go together, speak with the townspeople. You can explain what happened and have your chance to apologize."

"...they won't forgive me..." Wendy said, unable to look the zombie girl in the eyes.

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't apologize." Zanya replied, her hands on her hips. "And you never know. There are plenty of reasonable humans that live here, and no matter what happens, I'll be right there by your side." She strode over to the half spider teen, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, Wendy. Everything will be alright." She slowly glances back to the Grimwood girl, before looking back at the dirt and grass, considering what she had said.

* * *

Back at Chandler's, the fact that six kids had gone missing from the party hadn't gone unnoticed, particularly since one of them was Chandler himself. After his parents questioned everyone at the party about their son's whereabouts, Zach, Liam and Rusty all told them about how they were looking for a monster in the forest. Naturally, the police were called. The moment they started to form a search party was the moment Girl Jordan and Haiku had emerged from the woods; with several children declared missing from the previous days. Immediately, the police wanted to get a statement and testimony from them about what had happened. While the girls didn't really say anything (who would believe them anyway), the rest of the kids all started talking about this creepy spider monster who kidnapped them in the woods. The cops didn't really believe the story, but one thing was clear to them: something in the woods was kidnapping children. However, before they could make a move, or even plan to, Clyde, Chandler, and Zanya had finally returned. Upon seeing their son, Chandler's parents instantly rushed past the officers to give their son big hugs, much to his embarrassment. A short, stocky, balding policeman with a big nose approached Zanya, carrying a thick notepad. "Zanya Talon, am I right?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"Yes sir." She answered simply, wondering why the police were called.

"Officer Clemmons, RWPD. I'd like to ask you a couple question about what happened here tonight." He started, pulling a pen from his pocket. "Like what the heck were you doing in the forest in the dead of the night anyway?"

"We were invited to go on a monster hunt." Zanya replied, which was true enough.

"A monster hunt, eh? But...aren't you a monster?" He asked, a little confused.

"Yes, but that's not the point." She said.

"Right...well, did you find this so called 'monster'?" Officer Clemmons asked, using his fingers to make air quotes.

"As a matter of fact we did."

"Come again…?" In answer, Zanya looked back at the woods and made a 'come on out' motion with her hands. A nervous Wendalyn slowly peeked out from behind a tree, shaking a little.

"Hmmm?" He leaned to one side to look past the zombie girl. "Another one? Funny...I don't recall hearing about a missing kid meeting her description…" He stepped past Zanya to move closer to Wendy. "Hey there, young lady. Come on out. No one here's gonna hurt you."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." The ghoul girl added, making the cop raise an eyebrow. The spider girl gulped and slowly skittered her way into the open. One look at her made Officer Clemmons go quite pale.

"H….H...Holy smokes! She is a monster!" He shouted, hastily backing away from her. Wendy flinched at that, and even more at the stares and screams coming from the assembled crowd of kids, parents and police officers. Some had already drawn their tasers on her.

"Hold it!" Zanya shouted, throwing herself in between the spider girl and the police. "Put those away! She's not here to hurt anyone! She never was!"

"Miss Talon, please step away from the suspect…" A taller officer said, trying to speak calmly.

"No." She replied firmly. "Not until you hear what she has to say. Until then, if you want to get at her, you'll have to go through me."

"What in tarnation is she doing?" Liam asked in confusion.

"...what she thinks she needs to do." Clyde answered, having been privy to the conversation that happened earlier. The officers on the scene looked at one another for a moment before Officer Clemmons raised his hand.

"Alright, kid...we'll play ball for now...you say she has something to say?" He asked, lowering his taser, his fellows following suite.

"Go ahead, Wendy." She said in a calm manner, looking back at the spider girl. She gulped as she stumbled forward, her entire body quite shaky.

"...H….Hello….My name is Wendalyn...and as you can see...I am an arachnotaur…" She started to explain, scared beyond belief. She wanted to just run back into the forest and hide herself. However, before her fear could overtake her, Zanya put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. Wendy smiled weakly back, took a deep breath, and proceeded to tell everyone present her story; how she had gotten separated from her mother, being lost in a strange town, the feeling of rejection when the other kids refused to play with her, and finally what transpired in the woods since. "...I know it was very wrong to kidnap them to be my playmates...but I wasn't thinking straight at the time...not that it's an excuse…" She continued. "...I didn't mean any harm...I just wanted someone to play with me...to not be alone anymore...I'm very sorry...sorry to all the kids I had taken...to all their parents...to everyone...I apologize for my actions…." You could have heard a pin drop when she finished her apology, which did nothing to soothe her nerves. All eyes were staring right at her; some with sympathy, some with disbelief, some looking uncertain how to feel.

"Miss Wendalyn...that apology was all nice, well and good, but a crime like kidnapping doesn't just go away with an apology." Officer Clemmons said, though he at least put his taser away. "It's a serious matter."

"I know….." Wendalyn squeaked, a few tears dropping from her face.

"Officer, if I may..." Clyde started, moving over beside Zanya and Wendy.

"And you are…?"

"Clyde McBride, sir. I was one of the ones who went along on this monster hunt, and later ended up in the hands of Miss Wendalyn." The african american boy explained calmly. "She's been under significant emotional distress of late, as she described. In those circumstances, people are known to act rashly and without thinking. I speak from experience."

"Clyde's right." Girl Jordan added, joining the trio. "Besides, the absolute worst she did was tickle us." There was some confused muttering at that, with a few mutterings of 'that's it?' and 'seriously?'.

"Did Wendalyn make a mistake? Of course. But she clearly feels regret for what she did, and was willing to come apologize for her rash behavior." Zanya said, patting the spider girl on the shoulder. "Surely that should count for something."

"Listen kids...I see what you're trying to do and I do see your point." Officer Clemmons said, and he sounded like he was sorry for what he was about to say. "But we can't just turn a blind eye to mass kidnapping. At the very, very least, someone should tell her mother what she did…"

"Someone call for me?" Came a woman's voice from the side of the house. All eyes turned to see a tall, pale woman walking across the grass, wearing a silk tank top and a ankle length silk skirt that was open at one end to reveal one of her legs. She had long, black hair, and beetle black eyes. There were a few wolf whistles from the crowd, a few followed by slaps across the face. Walking just to one side of her was Detective Talon with a bit of a smirk on his face.

"Mom!" Wendy cried out, rushing past her friends over to the two. Both mother and child joined in a loving embrace.

"Daddy!" Zanya called out.

"Hey there, pumpkin." Trent called out with a wave.

"Hold up hold up hold up." Officer Clemmons said, trying to understand what was going on here. "You're her mother?"

"Yes, officer, I am." The woman replied. "Don't you see the resemblance?"

"Now that you mention it….but I don't get how a particularly lovely young lady like you can have a...spider kid…"

"And I'm not giving you any hints either." The woman replied with a half smirk. "But you had said you wanted to speak to me?"

"Well...yeah...you see...your kid seems to have been involved in a string of kidnappings." The short officer explained, still quite perplexed about the whole situation.

"Wendalyn! Is this true?" She looked sternly at her daughter, who shrank down a little in shame and fear.

"Y...Yes Mom…"

"According to victim and witness testimony, though, she didn't hurt anyone...didn't intend to. She just wanted someone to play with." The officer continues, rereading his notes.

"Hmmmmm. I see." The pale woman nodded a little as she listened. "Rest assured, officer. I will ensure that my daughter is appropriately punished for this." Wendalyn flinched when she heard this, as did Zanya. The officer rubbed his chin as he thought this over.

"Well...given that it's her first offense...and she does seem to feel bad about what she did...and she did let the kids go unharmed…I think, just this ONCE...we can let her off with a warning…" Officer Clemmons said, somewhat quietly.

"Thank you so much, officer." Wendy's mother said, giving him a big hug, bringing a blush to the little officer's face.

"Ahem...well, you're welcome, miss…?"

"Widow." She replied, letting him go and taking her daughter by the hand. "Now come along, Wendalyn. You have some serious explaining to do." She told her in a stern voice, but giving her a soft wink while the cop wasn't looking.

"Come along, folks. I'll give ya a lift back to your place." Detective Talon said, motioning Widow and Wendy to follow him to his car.

"I...don't think I can fit, mister…"

"Why don't you turn into your human form?" Widow asked the spider teen, getting the attention of Officer Clemmons.

"Say what?" He asked under his breath.

"...I forgot how to…" Wendalyn admitted. "I never used it that often…"

"Oh, Wendalyn…" Widow sighed while lightly shaking her head. She twirled her hand and flicked a finger at her daughter, a trio of tiny white lights emerging from the tip of her long, black fingernail. The glowing orbs spun around Wendalyn, causing her lower half to glow. Her eight legs fused into two and her spider abdomen shrank into human hips and thighs, covered in spider silk shorts. The stocky cop's jaw dropped, as did Zanya and her friends'. "When we get home, you are going to practice changing between forms until you can do it in your sleep…"

"Yes, Mom." Wendy said as her mother escorted her to Trent's car.

"The sargeant isn't going to believe this…." Officer Clemmons muttered to himself, tossing his notebook over his shoulder. "...so why tell him?"

"You coming too, Zanya?" Her father asked as he walked around to the driver's seat.

"Just a minute, Daddy!" She called out before she hurried over to Chandler, who had finally escaped from his parents' suffocating embrace. "Chandler, I wanted to thank you again for inviting me to your party."

"Anytime, beautiful. I just wish things didn't go so crazy there in the woods." He said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

"Speaking of, it was very brave of you to come to my defense like that." Zanya said, a deep blush appearing on her face.

"Hehe. I would have faced a cluster of spider people for you, Zanya. You know that." Chandler said with a slightly cocky grin. The zombie girl smiled brightly at him, and then kissed him softly on the cheek. Now it was the brown haired boy's turn to blush, stunned as he touched the spot where he had been kissed.

"I have to go. See you around...handsome." She said with a giggle before she headed off back to her father's car.

"Yeah...see ya around…" Chandler said in a manner suggesting he was in a dream like state. He was so out of it, he didn't notice Trent was giving him the 'I'm watching you, kid…' look from the car.

"Speaking of brave…" Haiku said as she suddenly appeared beside Clyde, causing him to jump a bit. "...it was quite bold of you to stand up for Wendalyn like that, Clyde."

"Yeah, well, like I said, I've been in her shoes before...or lack thereof. I know what it's like to act without thinking during times of intense stress." Clyde said with a chuckle. "Granted, I never went as far as kidnapping...but I digress. Besides, she seemed like a nice enough girl, merciless tickling aside."

"You're really something else, Clyde." The goth girl said, right before she gave him a hug. She whispers softly to him. "And I mean that in the best way possible." His cheeks flushed almost immediately, but hugged her back with hardly any hesitation. His three friends all grinned at him from a distance.

"Way to go, Clyde." Zach muttered with a grin.

"Now both Clyde and Lincoln have girls who are major cuties...when's my turn?" Rusty complained a bit under his breath.

* * *

It took about twenty minutes of driving before Trent pulled over beside a patch of woods between a mountain side and the empty stretch of highway where the old sedan now resided. "You're sure this is the place?" Trent asked as Widow and her daughter emerged from the vehicle.

"Yes, Mr Talon. There's an old, condemned mine shaft not far from here. Wendalyn and I can live in there for a week or two while we get our bearings." Widow explained.

"That reminds me...where were you and your little girl headed when you got separated?"

"A school by the name of 'Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for Girls'." Widow said. "My cousin had spoken most highly of it, and it would be nice for my little girl to be able to go to a school where she can learn without fear of being shunned."

"Grimwood's, you say? Well, isn't that a kick in the head?" Trent said with a chuckle as he stepped out of the car. "My little girl goes to Grimwood."

"Really? Then would you be so kind as to give me some directions? I think I took a wrong turn somewhere…"

"Well, you're not that far off. The school is in the next state over to the west; a couple hours drive, as the crow flies."

"Wonderful. Thank you so much again, Mr Talon, for all your help." Widow said, showing her gratitude with a great big hug.

"Glad to be of help, ma'am."

"And thank you for everything, Zanya.." Wendy said, smiling at the zombie girl.

"You're welcome, Wendy. I'm glad we were able to resolve everything peacefully." She replied, shaking the hand of her new friend. "Perhaps sometime soon, we can find time to meet up and play together."

"I'd like that." Wendalyn said, grinning as she snuck a tickle on Zanya's sides, sending the zombie girl into hysterics instantly.

"Hahahahahahaahahheheheheheehehe me too!" Zanya replied, slipping out of the spider girl's grasp. "Hehehehehe maybe I can convince some friends to come along too."

"Like that Clyde boy? He was a lot of fun...and he seemed quite nice." Some color actually came to the pale teen's face when she said that.

"hehehe. We'll see."

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now. Hopefully, we'll meet again under friendlier circumstances." Widow said as she and her daughter started transforming back into their true forms. "Good evening,Trent, Zanya."

"Good evening, Widow, Wendalyn. Hope the rest of your time here is peaceful." Trent replied, waving to the mother and daughter spider folk as they scampered off into the shadows. "You did good today, Zanya." He said with fatherly pride, putting an arm around his own daughter.

"Thanks, Daddy."

"You saved a bunch of kids, helped your new friend through her troubled time, and diffused that tense situation between her and the cops. I'd say Miss Grimwood picked the right girl for the job of helping improve relations between men and monsters." He said, ruffling her hair a bit. "Now how's about we head back and inspect your candy haul, and finish up with some classic sci fi horror flicks?"

"Mmmmm. Sounds like a plan, Daddy. I'm getting hungry." Zanya admitted, pulling a few cheese puffs from her pocket and popping them into her mouth. The two of them laughed a bit before they returned to the detective's old car and drove off, headed back to the Loud House.


	19. Chapter 19: Home Again Home Again

_AN: I either need to stop thinking up chapters where the main characters interact with all the others practically one on one, or split them up into part 1 and part 2 chapters. This was one of the longest chapters written to date. And for those asking about Lincoln's fourth wall break, I was planning on it for this chapter before you asked, but I didn't plan to have any of the girls catch him. However, I decided to go with it, so that one is for you._

* * *

Home Again Home Again

Twas the Sunday after Halloween, and in Lincoln's room, the white haired boy was up and awake before the sun had risen completely. This was very uncommon for Lincoln, as he prefered to sleep in on the weekend. But today was no ordinary day. "Oh! Hey guys. Been a while since we had a good talk." Lincoln said, smiling at the audience as he put on his favorite orange shirt. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm up so early. Well, let me tell you...I'm headed back home!" He exclaimed, chuckling with giddiness. "Just for the day, I mean. I plan to stay at Grimwood's for the long haul...and maybe beyond. But I digress. I have the whole day planned." He pulled a small notebook from behind his back. "I'll arrive in the morning and spend time with my family, especially Dad, Lori, Luan and Lily, since they didn't get to see me during the Halloween. Then, during the afternoon, Clyde and the guys will drop by and we'll hang out at Gus', the comic book store, etc. Just like we always would. And finally, after dinner, I'll teleport over to Ronnie Anne's and spend some quality time with her before I have to be back at school. Yeah, I know she got grounded for the whole sneaking a ride thing, but there shouldn't be any harm in a quick visit." He smiled as he closed his notepad. "I already got the ok from Miss Grimwood and told the girls I'd be away for the day. Mom and Dad know I'm coming, my friends know I'm coming, and Ronnie Anne will be expecting me early tonight." He seemed mighty proud of himself as he continued to get ready. "Man with the plan. That's me."

"Who are you talking to, Lincoln?" Sibella asked from the doorway, having heard Lincoln from out the in the hall. He had forgotten to shut his door when he returned to his room after his shower.

"Just some friends of mine." He replied, pointing to the fourth wall. Sibella walked inside and looked to where he was pointing.

"Huh...how did I not notice them before…?" She asked herself. Then, a frightening prospect came to her. "Lincoln, how long have they been here…?"

"Not long. They only appear when something important happens." Lincoln explained to her, making Sibella breathe a sigh of relief. "I don't know much about them, truth be told, but they're great listeners if you need to get something off your chest, and they'll never tell anyone."

"I see. Well, returning home is important to you, so I can see why they would be here." She smiles at Lincoln, playfully teasing his turkey tail. "It's not going to be the same without you around, Lincoln."

"Hehehe. Awww, come on, Sibella. I'm only going to be gone for the day." He said to her, his cheeks crimson.

"I know." Sibella replied with a grin. "But that doesn't mean I won't miss you." Lincoln chuckled a bit, turning his head to give Sibella a gentle kiss. He intended to kiss her cheek, but she had turned her own head just at the right moment for their lips to meet. They were a little surprised at first, but neither minded at all as they shared a short, but loving kiss. "Why Lincoln...So bold of you." The vampiress teased, bringing back the blush that she enjoyed seeing on the young lad. "I like it." Now the middle Loud was reduced to babbling incoherently, making Sibella giggle. "Tee hee hee...Ok, enough being cute, Lincoln." She told him, patting him on the cheek to help him snap out of it. "I'd like to tell you something."

"Huh?" Lincoln said as he returned to reality. "Oh. What is it, Sibella?"

"Lincoln, we've known each other for a while now." She started, taking his hands in hers. "And in that time, I've grown quite fond of you. I hope the feeling is mutual." Lincoln gulped a bit and nodded. Was she saying what he thought she was? His answer made the young lady smile sweetly. "I think you are a sweet young man...charming, clever, cunning, considerate, caring, chivalrous….oh dear, I'm rambling on now...what I'm trying to say is….Lincoln Loud….I-"

"Is Lincoln still here?" Winnie suddenly asked, peeking into the room. The lavender skinned girl flinched and grimaced, cursing Winnie's terrible timing and the fact she forgot to close the door. The white haired boy turned his attention to the door to see not only the interrupting werewolf, but Phanty, Elsa, Tanis, Suki and even Gila there. "Ah. There he is!"

"Er….we're not interrupting, are we?" Tanis asked apologetically, looking at the scene before them. Sibella was tempted to tell them that they were, but she could see they wanted to say goodbye to Lincoln before he left for the day too. Sure, she could say that it was only for the day, but after what she said earlier? She'd look like a hypocrite. Besides, she could always tell him when he got back.

"Well, Sibella was just-" Lincoln started to say.

"No, it's fine, Tanis." The vampiress intervened, confusing the human boy for a moment.

"Cool. We just wanted to drop by and wish Linc well on his trip." Winnie said, marching over to give her sports buddy a pat on the back. "Have fun, buddy. Be sure to come back in one piece."

"Bye Bye, Linky." Phanty chirped as she floated over to give him a big hug. "Have a good time with your friends and family." She added, giving Lincoln a quick peck on the cheek. This gave Sibella a slight twinge of jealousy, but she knew her phantom friend was the affectionate sort, so it didn't bother her too badly.

"Be safe, big brother." Tanis said, leaping into Lincoln's arms for a hug, a big smile on her face.

"See you when you get back, Lincoln. Have fun." Elsa told him, shaking his hand.

"Bye Lincoln." Suki and Gila both said, both girls going in for a hug. Lincoln was very surprised to see the aquatic girl hugging him, but to him, that was a sign of how far she's come. When they first met, she could hardly be in the same room as him. Now, she was comfortable enough around him to hug him. And, it might has been his imagination, but he could swear he saw her blushing a little too.

"Heh. Bye girls. I'll see you later tonight." He said, just as his phone's alarm went off. The time had come. He turned off the alarm function and walked over to the orb resting on a pedestal (or more accurately, an old ashtray he was using as a pedestal, but it worked all the same). He placed his hands on the shiny surface and closed his eyes, thinking of home. A swirling green mist appeared inside the ball as Lincoln's body started to glow with an emerald aura. The light emitting from the boy grew stronger until, in a blinding flash, he was gone.

* * *

"So…..are we supposed to do anything with this…?" Lynn Jr asked as the girls stared at the crystal sphere set up in their living room, all of them up and dressed already. They knew that it would serve as a teleportation point for their brother to return home by; they just didn't know how to make it work. Lincoln never explained that.

"I don't think so…" Luna commented. "Lincoln never said. I guess we just gotta wait."

"Did Mom say when Linky would arrive?" Leni asked Lori eagerly.

"Shouldn't be long now. She said he would arrive before breakfast." Lori responded.

"Bet you can't wait to see your big brother again, huh Lil?" Luan said, keeping little Lily in her lap.

"Winky! Winky!" Lily cheered, clapping her little hands. It was at this moment when the sphere filled with green mist.

"Ladies, I do believe Lincoln is about to make his appearance." Lisa commented as she noticed the change in the ball. All eyes returned to the orb as the cerulean smoke swirled more powerfully inside it's glass confines. A bright light flashed from beside the ball, forcing the girls to cover their (and Lily's) eyes. When they all looked again, there was their brother, Lincoln, shaking a little.

"Whoa….travelling that way gives you goosebumps." He said, rubbing his arms a bit.

"Lincoln!" The one son suddenly found himself sandwiched among nine pairs of arms hugging him all at once. Lisa was the only one who held back, knowing this would happen and that waiting for an opening would be more beneficial. Almost immediately, the middle son was bombarded with questions and comments from his sisters.

"We missed you, Lincoln!"

"Good to see you again, bro."

"Are you still doing alright, Linky?"

"Have you learned any new spells, Linc!?"

"How has Sibella been, Linky?"

"Girls. Girls. Give your brother a little room to breathe." Lynn Sr called from the passage to the kitchen, chuckling a bit. Judging by the spatula in his hand and apron on his chest, he was making breakfast. The nine sisters looked at their father, then at their brother being squeezed between them. They quickly back up, Lynn Jr patting him on the back.

"Heh. Sorry about that, Linc."

"Don't worry about it, Lynn." He replied with a wheezing chuckle. "All part of living in a big family." With the path clear, now it was the Loud Patriarch turn to swoop in for a hug.

"It's good to see you again, Lincoln. I'm sorry I didn't get to see you during the Open House…"

"I'm happy to see you too, Dad. It's ok. I know how you feel about Halloween." Lincoln replied after giving his father a hug in return. Lynn Sr chuckled, ruffling his son's snow white hair.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, but I've got to keep an eye on breakfast."

"That's ok, Dad. We can all catch up at the kitchen table." Lincoln said with a smile.

"That would be most efficient." Lisa commented. Just then, some black smoke started billowing from the kitchen.

"Oh pop tarts! The bacon's burning!" Lynn Sr shouted as he made a mad dash back to the kitchen.

"Dibs." Lucy called in a deadpan tone.

"So anyway...one of you asked me if I learned some new spells, right?" Lincoln asked with a grin. "How's about I show you?"

"Yeah!" Came nine sets of voices.

"I would be most interested in studying the execution of arcane actions." Lisa replied.

"Alrighty then." He said as he rolled up his sleeves (kinda pointless as he was wearing a short sleeved polo shirt) and looked toward Lola and Lana. "How would you two like to fly?"

"You can make us fly!?" They asked together, so excited they looked like they could burst.

"Well, not fly properly, but…" He faced the twins and slowly raised his hands, palms facing upward. "Flortinium hallitoro." Lola and Lana gasped in surprise as the two of them started to levitate into the air.

"Whoa! I'm flying!" Lana cried out, giddy with excitement.

"I believe the proper term is floating, Lana, or more specifically-" Lisa started to drone on.

"Don't really care, Lisa." Lola interrupted her, giggling as Lincoln started floating them around the room as if they were flying. "Wheeee! Look at me! I'm a fairy princess!"

"It's a bird. It's a plane! It's...Super Lana!" The tomboy twin cheered, holding her arms out front like she were a superhero. Their fun lasted for about two minutes, when Lincoln started to get tired and needed to let them down.

"Whew...sorry about that, guys...but magic puts a bit of strain on the body." He explained as he breathed a bit more heavily than normal. Lisa took a few notes as she watched and listened. "Think I'll try one that takes a little less effort…" His eyes shift over to where Charles, Cliff, Geo and Walt were congregated, watching the scene from afar. "There we go. With the right spell, I can communicate with and understand animals."

"Really? Like me?" Lana asked.

"Yep. Watch." He placed his hands over his ears and muttered. "Illator meletath mammallia avatin." His hands emitted a soft white light, which faded quickly. He removed his hands from his head and crouched down to Charles' level. "Hey there, boy. How are ya doing?" The little white and black dog looked to his fellow pets, then back to Lincoln, before saluting.

"Sir! I am doing well, sir! Sweeps of the perimeter turned up clean! House is secure, sir!" Charles barked, sitting up straight. The white haired boy and the hat wearing twin both blinked at this. "Sir, permission to scoot around the rug on my butt, sir!"

"Uh...permission granted?" He replied, utterly lost as Charles started scooting around on the carpet. "Right….er….Cliff, how about you?" The lanky cat turned to look at Lincoln, then stroked his whiskers like they were a moustache.

"Why, I 'ave been simply divine, zank you for asking." Cliff replied in a french accent. "Oui, it would be nice to have some more feline mademoiselles about, but c'est la vie, non?"

"I didn't know Cliff was french…" Lincoln commented quietly.

"Me neither." Lana added with a raised eyebrow. The middle Loud turned to look at the little yellow canary, wondering what other surprises were in store for him.

"Uh….hey Walt…"

"I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP!" Walt bellowed in a Dr Claw voice, glaring at Lincoln.

"Wah!" Lincoln stumbled back, falling onto his keister. About that point, all the pets started laughing.

"Hahahahaha! Ah, we were just messing with you, Lincoln." Charles admitted.

"We got you good." Geo squeaked from inside his hamster ball.

"Great voice there, Walt." Cliff said, shaking his feathered associate's wing.

"Thanks. I've been practicing." Walt chirped with a grin.

"Hahahahahahaha! Good one, guys!" Lana said as she laughed her head off. Leni and Lily were laughing too, though Leni had no idea why and Lily was because what she saw was funny to her. The remaining seven sisters just looked on, wondering what just happened.

"O…..k." Lincoln said as he got back to his feet. He brushed himself off and noticed Lily's teddy bear slouched on the couch. "Hmmm. Hey Lily. You like your bear, right?" The infant nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "Want a big bear?" Lily frowned and shook her head, crawling over to her teddy and hugging it before she blew a loud raspberry at him. "Let me rephrase that. Would you like your teddy to become a big bear?" The baby Loud thought about it for a moment, then nodded excitedly. She let go of the plushie and shuffled back from it. "Here goes. Incantorum!" Golden sparks flew from his finger and surrounded the teddy, causing it to grow to the size of a large pillow in almost an instant. Lily's eyes widened with wonder as she pounced onto her giant (to her) sized teddy, snuggling into it like it were a bed.

"Awwwww….." Cooed the ten other sister and Lincoln at the adorable sight before them.

"That's some fancy spell slinging there, brah." Luna said with a grin.

"And that's only the beginning." Lincoln said. "Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the energy to show you every spell I learned."

"That's fine. I think you've shown us more than enough for one day." Lori said, patting him on the shoulder. Just then, their father called them to breakfast. "Come on. Let's go get something to eat. We can talk more at the table." No one argued with her on that on, as they were all super hungry. Lisa delayed herself a moment to trim a small bit of the teddy's fur for study later. Inside the dining room, Rita and Zanya were already there, having just set the table, as well as Lynn Sr, bringing out a large bowl of scrambled eggs to join the platters of bacon, toast, sausage, the cereal boxes and the fruit bowl. The moment Lincoln entered, the sisters parted to let their mother through to hug him as well. Zanya giggled softly as she watched, getting the one son's attention. When the two finally separated from their hug, Zanya slowly approached him, holding out a hand.

"Hi. I'm Zanya Talon." She introduced herself, smiling to him.

"Lincoln Loud. A pleasure to meet you in person." He replied, shaking her hand. As the two looked each other over, one thought crossed both their minds.

'He/She is cute.' The two of them took their seat at the dining room table, alongside the rest of the large family.

"So, Lincoln. Have you figured out how you're going to be spending your time back home?" Lynn Sr asked as he started portioning out helpings of eggs.

"I certainly have. I'm going to make time for everyone in the family after breakfast, then sometime after lunch, meet up with-" He started to explain.

"Whoa...hold the phone, bro." Luna interrupted. "It's great you wanna spend time with all of us, but how are you gonna manage that with twelve people with what time you have?"

"Thirteen, actually." Lincoln corrected her, looking to Zanya. "I plan to make time to hang with Zanya too." The zombie girl smiled at him as he said that.

"That is still quite the undertaking, elder brother. How do you intend to pull that off?" Lisa inquired as Lori poured her some orange juice. "Thank you, eldest sister."

"I've got that all figured out too." He said. "I'll spend exactly a half hour with everyone."

"Awwwww. Only a half hour…" Lola whined sadly.

"Sorry, Lola, but it's the only way I could make enough time for everyone." He replied to her. "Besides, I'll be back for Thanksgiving break in a few weeks. Sooner if I can manage it. And then I'll have plenty more time to spend with everyone."

"Well…..ok…"

"Oh! Can I go first?" Leni asked, almost immediately getting glares and grumbles from most of her sisters. "What? I couldn't get the day off today…I have to be there by 8" That seemed to soothe some of their anger.

"In which case, can I call for ten?" Luan asked, raising her hand. "I have a birthday party scheduled at 10:45 and I want to be able clown around with my little brother before getting down to Funny Business. Hahahaha!"

"I can make that work." Lincoln said as he pulled out his planner and started to make notes as he ate. "Does anyone else have any plans or obligations?" He looked around a moment, seeing most everyone else shaking their heads. However, each sister did start arguing over who would go after Leni, and every position from there on. Lincoln looked around at the verbal fighting and just sighed. In a weird sort of way, he missed this kind of chaos.

* * *

"...and then I said 'OMGosh! No way! She asked HIM out!?'" Leni gossiped as she worked on her sewing machine. Lincoln had decided to start with Leni in the lineup to hang with his sisters, since Leni said she had to leave shortly and she had a surprise in mind for him. This was about twenty minutes ago, and the whole time, she had him standing on her modeling pedestal, arms held out at shoulder level and his eyes closed. Lincoln didn't mind so much; he was used to modeling for her and it was her half hour to spend with him.

"From what you told me about this guy before, he sounds like a real piece of work." Lincoln commented, a small frown on his face. "...and not in the good way."

"Totes, Linky. I mean, the guy is super cute, but he's such a meanie…Not like Jethro from English. Really nice guy, but he doesn't really know how to talk to others. When I say hi to him, he just kinda freezes up and falls over." Leni shook her head a bit as she continued to work. "I hope she doesn't end up getting hurt like his other girlfriend had...but enough about what's up at my school. How are you and Sibella getting along?"

"Er...we're getting along just fine…" Lincoln said vaguely while blushing, hoping she would accept that and move on. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

"Oh, come on, Lincoln." Leni said with a giggle. "It's, like, obvious that you and her are more than 'just fine'." Lincoln gulped. If Leni thought it was obvious with what little info he thought she had, then it must be pretty blatant. "So…..have you asked her out yet?"

"...no." He admitted lamely. His second oldest sister paused in the act of working on the cuff of her surprise.

"No? Why not?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "You totes like her, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And she totes likes you too, right?" The white haired lad nodded at her inquiry. "So what's the problem?"

"It's complicated, Leni…."

"If this is about her Daddy…."

"No...though he isn't helping the situation."

"Then what is it?" Leni asked, starting to lose her patience.

"...Ronnie Anne." The annoyance left Leni's face, replaced by concern.

"Ooooooh…..but I thought you said you two were just friends?" She pointed out.

"When has that stopped you guys from thinking we were a couple?" Lincoln countered.

"...good point." Leni conceded.

"And we are...or...I think we are. I mean…." He sighed. "I don't even know…I guess I still had feelings for her even after we agreed to just be friends...and seeing her again during the Open House…when she risked a LOT just to see me again…"

"...made them stronger?" Lincoln nodded as she finished his sentence.

"I really like Sibella, but I also really like Ronnie Anne…" He continued. "I don't want to hurt either of them, but I know one of them will be hurt if I choose one over the other. And it doesn't help the two haven't really been getting along…"

"Oooooh…" Leni had a brief flashback to what she had said back at Grimwood's and winced a bit. "...did I kinda make things bad at the Open House?"

"No...this has been going on since I first introduced Ronnie Anne to Sibella...though I think what you said rubbed salt into the wound…"

"Sorry…." Leni apologized, looking downcast that she may have caused her little brother a big problem in his love life.

"It's ok, Leni...you had no way of knowing." He replied. "I just don't know what to do…."

"Well, in a situation like this...there's only two things to do, Linky." Leni said in a matter of fact voice. Lincoln turned his head toward her, but didn't open his eyes. If he had, he would be looking at her with an expression of utmost curiosity. "The first is to follow your heart."

"And the second…?"

"Ask Lori." Leni replied simply. Lincoln sighed again, thinking he should have seen that coming a mile away. After all, Lori was the one with the most relationship experience out of the sisters. He figured he could ask her when they met up later, though he hoped she had better advice than follow your heart. He could feel Leni pulling off his shirt and putting a new one on in its place, plus something that felt like a coat. "Ok Linky. You can open your eyes now." He opened his eyes after he turned to face Leni's full length mirror. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. In place of his usual orange shirt was a black an orange button up tunic, covered by a flowing black robe with orange trim at the collar, sleeves and the hem. Embroidered on the chest was an L.L.

"Leni...this is….amazing." Lincoln said, looking utterly awed. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Linky." Leni replied with a winning smile. "You really look the part of a male witch now."

"Warlock." He corrected her.

"That's the one!" Leni chirped before Lincoln hopped off the pedestal and gave her a big hug. The big hearted teen giggled before she hugged him in return.

* * *

"...so only that one guy was cheating?" Lynn Jr asked as she pitched the football over to her brother in the backyard while he told her about Cadet Simon. She had decided that, seeing how his muscle build had improved since he left (if only a little), she would spend her time with him seeing just how much. He had caught the ball pretty easily, though he knew his sporty sister was going easy on him...for the moment.

"Yeah. Most the other guys, from what I saw and heard, weren't even aware it was going on...and the only other one that did looked like he felt mighty bad about it." He explained, throwing the ball back to her.

"Hey, not bad, bro. You actually threw it all the way to me this time." She teased him, to which Lincoln just chuckled. "But in all seriousness, at least he had the decency to feel bad. Were we ever glad you were able to out think that creep, Mr Man with the plan." She threw the ball back, harder this time. He did manage to catch it, but the force was enough to make him stumble back. Lynn had to admit to being impressed. Usually, a throw like that would have knocked her brother on his hindquarters. "Just like when he tried to frame you."

"Well, Colonel Calloway did more to bust him in that respect. All I did was prove my innocence." He replied with a shrug.

"So? You still beat him. By the way, whatever happened to those guys? I didn't see them at the Open House."

"Well, I don't think they were invited for one. And for two, the Calloway Academy got shut down a few weeks back." He explained as he threw the pigskin back over to Lynn, a little harder than before. To an athlete like Lynn, it was still an easy catch.

"Really? That's kind of a shame…"

"Not really." Lincoln said with a shake of his head and a smile. "Their old school may have been closed, but a new school was opened a couple miles away. Much bigger. Part of the reason they shut it down. But they offered Colonel Calloway a job as headmaster there, and most of the cadets went with him."

"Well, good for him. But what about this Simon guy?" Lynn inquired as she threw the football with all her might. This pitch not only knocked Lincoln off his feet and into the wall of the house, but winded the poor boy as well. "Oops….sorry, Linc. Guess that was just a bit much…"

"Cough...don't worry about it, Lynn…" He replied with a gaspy voice. He took a moment to recover before he answered her question. "Well, he was the almost. Turns out, the Colonel didn't really trust him to behave in a co-ed school….can't imagine where he got that idea…" Lincoln replied sarcastically, making his older sister giggle. "...but he decided to nip that in the bud by sending him to a place called Stonewall."

"Stonewall? What's that?"

"It's another military academy. A really tough one from what I've seen. I did a quick check on it the day the cadet's left. Let's...just say it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." Lincoln grinned as he saw Lynn double over with laughter.

"Hahaha. Serves him right." She said through her hysterics. She was so distracted, she never saw Lincoln throw the ball again. It sailed right over her head and landed in the last place any of the Louds wanted to find one of their things: Mr Grouse's yard.

"Oops…."

"Uh oh…" Lynn said just as their grouchy old neighbor emerged from his house. Upon seeing the football, he ran over and picked it up, yelling his signature:

"My yard! My property!" Lynn sighed a bit in defeat, but Lincoln was smirking. He raised his hand, palm facing up, which caused the ball to lift right out of Mr Grouse's hand. The tubby old man blinked as he watched the football levitate right into Lincoln's hand.

"Our yard. Our property." He retorted. Mr Grouse opened his mouth, then closed it again, scratching his head.

"Eh...can't argue with that, I suppose…." He muttered in confusion as he went back inside to process what just happened.

"That was...sweet! Thanks, Linc." Lynn said, hugging her little brother.

"Hehe. No problem, Lynn, especially since I tossed the ball over the fence to begin with."

"Nice throw, by the way." She complimented him. "Even if it wasn't intended to go there."

"Thanks."

"Keep it up, and maybe you'll have muscles like mine." Lynn said, flexing her arms and kissing her muscles.

"Nah. I think I'll stick with what I got. It's better than what I had, and probably all I'll ever need." Lincoln said as he rubbed his own arm.

"Suit yourself, bro." She said with a shrug and a smile. "We still have about fifteen minutes left. Care to burn it with a little, good old fashioned wrestling. I promise I'll go easy on you….sort of." She said, grinning as she stretched her arms. He held his hands up in front of him, about to decline, but then he thought about it some more; it was Lynn's time and, if she really did promise to hold back, it shouldn't be so bad. Besides, Winnie had shown him a few moves he wanted to surprise Lynn with.

"You know what...why not?" He replied, crouching down into a wrestler's stance.

"That's the spirit!" She cried as she dove at him.

* * *

"Well, what did you think would happen, Lincoln?" Lisa asked a battered Lincoln as she tended to his scrapes and bruises in her room/lab, a half amused look on her face. Lynn was watching with a sheepish grin, looking kinda scuffed up herself.

"I thought my sister would have gone easy on me, like she said." Lincoln grumbled.

"Hey, I would have bro, till you tried to suplex me like that. Was almost a nice move too. Too bad you fell over before you could finish it." She replied, chuckling. "Where'd you learn that, anyway?"

"Winnie had shown me a few moves when she wrestled the moat crocodiles for exercise." He explained, wincing as Lisa applied disinfectant on a scrape on his elbow.

"Shoulda known. And I gotta say, you impressed me with how you escaped my scissor lock." She added with a grin. "You've come a long way since you went to Grimwood's bro."

"From a physical standpoint, I must agree." Lisa commented. "Your overall muscle structure has become around 11.75% stronger since departing. As for mentally...well, we shall see when my allotted time comes about."

"Which should be about now." Lynn said, looking at her watch. "I kinda rolled over a bit with the wrestling match. Thanks, Linc. It was a lot of fun." She added, giving him another big hug.

"Ow...hehehe. You're welcome, Lynn. It was great hanging out with you again." He said as he hugged her back. "Maybe next time, we can try a slightly less contact sport...like bowling." Lynn was about to laugh his suggestion off, but paused in the act.

"Hey...I haven't dominated in bowling in a good long time. Good idea, bro!" She chirped before she ran from Lisa's room.

"...what have I brought upon the world?" Lincoln asked Lisa as he watched his most competitive sister exit.

"Whatever it is, it's the problem of our local bowling league, and not us." Lisa dead panned as she put her first aid kit away. "But now onto matters that do directly concern us, namely how we will spend our time together."

"I suppose you have some idea?" Lincoln asked with a small smile.

"Don't I always?" She replied with a raised eyebrow. "Under normal circumstances, I would be teaching or tutoring you in your classes. Today, however, the roles will be reversed. I wish for you to teach me." She explained. This was not what Lincoln was expecting. His genius little sister wanted HIM to teach HER? What could he have to teach her?

"You want me to teach you?" Lincoln asked, uncertain he heard correctly. "Teach you what?"

"About the nature of the arcane arts, dear brother. About this...magic thing." She answered. "As a woman of science, I once stood firm in my belief that such things were mere nonsense...however, not only have I been proven mistaken in such beliefs, as you not only have learned what can only be described as true magic, but seem to have an aptitude for it as well. While I would not wish to actually utilize the arcane myself, the chance to study it closer and properly is an opportunity I would be a fool to pass up. So, elder brother, please teach me about this magic thing." She sat down on her stool in front of her workstation, holding a notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other. Lincoln couldn't help but smile at his inquisitive little sister.

"Well, if that's what you'd like, then sure, Lisa. What would you like to know?"

"Let's start with the basics. What is magic? Where does it come from?" Lisa asked, prepared to take notes.

"Heh. You know, I asked Miss Grimwood that question on my very first day of spellcrafting class." Lincoln told her. If Lisa believed in such things, she would have praised the science gods that her older brother had just as great a thirst for knowledge regarding magic as she had regarding science. "And this is pretty much what she told me: magic comes from within us and everything around us."

"Come again?" Lisa asked, looking at her brother over her notebook.

"Hmmm...well, it's like this, Lisa. Inside everything in existence, there is a special...energy, essence, whatever you like to call it. Inside you, me, the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the food we eat, everything." He started to explain, Lisa rapidly scribbling down notes. "This essence is the building block upon which magic is created. Spellcrafting itself is simply drawing forth this essence from within yourself, special components or catalysts, and your surroundings to create the desired effect."

"Not unlike chemistry then?" Lisa inquired as she wrote.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. It does share a lot of similarities. You need to practice and study pretty hard to get it right, you need to have a steady hand and be able to follow directions to the letter, and one false move could be catastrophic." He elaborated upon.

"I see. And how does one call forth this essence?"

"Usually through a few special components, used individually or together depending on the spell and it's power and complexity: spoken words, hand motions, specific ingredients, or catalyst items. These components draw the magic energy from where ever you need to draw it from (usually from your own body) and pretty much tells it what you want it to do...kinda like programming a computer." He said. "And just like with a computer, you put garbage in, you get garbage out. For example; if you were to mispronounce the magic words for an invisibility spell, it might make you transparent instead of invisible, so everyone can see your innards."

"That would be embarrassing...though it would make studying internal organs so much easier." Lisa said, tapping her pencil against her chin in thought. "Would it be possible to to study this essence in its base form?"

"I...don't have an answer for that one, Lisa." Lincoln admitted, rubbing the back of his head a bit, his smile fading. "I've never actually seen it for myself, just the results of it through spellcrafting."

"I had a feeling that was going to be your answer." Lisa said as she climbed off her stool, a knowing smile on her face. "But I have a solution for that, I believe, if you are willing to put on a practical demonstration of your magical prowess again." The one son looked a little confused as she turned on her computer and set up the web camera. "I have modified my computer's digital camera to become a high speed camera, capable of snapping several shots per millisecond. While you cast your spell on our test subject, ie this simple chocolate confection…" She pulled a chocolate kiss from her pocket and set it on her stool. "...I will record the process from the moment you start to when the spell has its effect. From there, I should be able to identify the arcane energy and study it." She told him. "I will need you to cast the spell a few times, so I can try a few different filters in case it's beyond the naked eye."

Lincoln shrugged, but he decided to do as Lisa asked. He stood a couple feet back from the chocolate kiss. As soon as the mini mastermind gave him the go ahead, he cast the growth spell upon it, causing it to grow bigger than Lisa's head. Lisa grinned a bit, taking a sample from the giant sized chocolate, setting it aside before changing the camera filter to infrared. Once more, Lincoln magically manipulated the size of the candy, shrinking it a little bit. Lisa took another small sample, changed the filter again, and once more the middle Loud cast the spell. This went on for a total of four times before his little sister was satisfied. "Thank you so much, elder brother." Lisa said as she looked over the millions of photos on her computer. "Between the images, the chocolate samples, and the sample I took from Lily's bear earlier, I should be able to find something substantial."

"You're welcome, Lisa." Lincoln replied, taking a seat on the end of her bed. "You know...I could teach you a spell or two if you like…"

"Appreciated, Lincoln, but unnecessary." The four year old genius replied. "As I said, I do not wish to utilize magic myself. I will stand by science." She turned to face the chocolate the size of her head. "...though I will admit it has its perks." She added with a big grin, licking her lips.

* * *

"How do you find the tea, Mr Lincington?" Lola asked, smiling across her little plastic tea table at Lincoln, who was sipping from an empty tea cup. To her left was her favorite plush unicorn, to her right, Bun Bun. To no one's surprise, she decided she wanted to spend her time with her big brother with a tea party.

"Quite tasty, Lady Lola." Lincoln replied in a faux snooty voice. "Your own recipe?"

"But of course." She replied, giggling. "It's Mr Sprinkles' favorite, and it looks like Bun Bun is fond of it too."

"They have great taste." He said with a nod. "How has life been treating you?"

"Oh, very well indeed." Lola said with a grin. A grin that slowly faded. "Well...actually, that's kind of a fib…"

"Hmmm?" Lincoln asked, pausing in the act of sipping pretend tea.

"Well, I mean, life is fine now...but…a couple weeks back...I did some bad things." She looked down at her tea table, a sad look on her face. Her older brother slowly put his cup down, leaning forward against the table, his hands locked together. She had his undivided attention. "I dunno if you heard this, but a few weeks back, when Zanya first arrived...I...wasn't especially fond of her." She admitted. He nodded slightly, this being the first time he had heard this. "I thought she was dirty and disgusting and full of diseases...because she was a zombie…" She paused a moment to give her brother a moment to respond: curiously, he didn't. "I didn't really make it a secret either...I even tried to get her kicked out of the house…"

"Lola…" Lincoln said, in a tone suggesting he was surprised at her, a slight frown on his face.

"I know! I know! It was an awful thing to do...I STILL feel bad about it…" The prissy Loud confessed, putting her head in her hands. "It even made Lana super angry at me…she moved out of our room for a few weeks after that..."

"Please tell me you still don't feel that way about her…"

"No...no...though it took me hearing her life story to realize how mean I was being…" Lincoln tilted his head a bit, but decided not to question Lola about it. He could ask Zanya himself when they met, if she were in the mood to talk about it. "I apologized to her and made up with her and Lana a few days later...after I really took a good look at myself…" Lincoln was still frowning and silent after she finished, making Lola feel like she were being judged. And in a way, she was right. "I know you're probably super disappointed in me…"

"Actually, Lola, I'm proud of you." He corrected her.

"Huh?" Lola looked up to see her brother giving her a warm smile. "...proud of me?"

"How can I not be? Yes, it was a rotten thing you did, but you realized it and made amends for it." He explained, gently petting her hair. "And mostly by yourself too, like the big girl you are." Lola's eyes were starting to tear up as she dove over the table and hugged her big brother. "Just let it serve as a lesson about judging others, Lola. Including and especially monsters."

"I promise I'll be more careful before I judge, Linky."

"Thatta girl, Lola." He patted her on the back before she separated herself from him. "So, after that, did you spend any time with Zanya?"

"Yeah! I invited her to my weekend tea party the next week." She told him.

"The weekend party. That's a big one."

"Uh huh. And she was one of the most well mannered tea guests I ever had...apart from you, of course, Lincington." She said with a giggle."And the party itself was simply divine, until Mr Pupperworth made a pig of himself with the oatmeal cookies."

"Hahaha. Charles never could resist the oatmeal ones."

"The last time I invite HIM to a tea party…" Lola said firmly, before she amended "...with cookies being served. He may have beastly eating habits, but he does make the guests feel safe."

"Apart from that, everything went alright."

"But of course. We did have to end the tea party prematurely, however, but it was for a good cause." Lincoln blinked, wondering what on this planet would be considered a good cause to interrupt one of Lola's tea parties.

"And that would be?" He asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"The latest season of 'Dream Boat', of course." Lola answered, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course." Lincoln replied with a chuckle. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't really seen much tv since he left home. And by the sound of it, he was missing quite a bit. "So...what did I miss with that? Any interesting contestants?"

"You didn't see it? You were SO missing out. They have a real colorful crew this season." Lola said, returning to her seat to continue her monologue. "They have this one guy...he's a trapeze artist. Made his entrance by swinging down from the top of that antennae thingie on the top of the ship. Oh, and this one guy..."

* * *

"So, what are you planning to cook up for lunch, Dad?" Lincoln asked as he threw on a little chef's hat. Lynn Sr beamed at him as he pulled an assortment of ingredients from the fridge.

"I thought I would try something new; something I may want to put on the menu at the 'Aloha Comrade'." He told his son, carrying the grocery stack over to the counter. "It's going to be a Mahi Mahi Golubtsy."

"Say what?"

"It's a stuffed cabbage dish, traditionally filled with pork and buckwheat or rice and vegetables. Well, this time, we're going to stuff it with mahi mahi, coconut rice, and vegetables, and top it with a mango salsa." Lynn Sr explained excitedly.

"Er...sounds great, Dad." Lincoln commented nervously, with a bit of a crooked smile.

"Well, it takes about two hours to cook, so we better get started if we're gonna be ready for lunch. Sous chef Lincoln, you start on the rice, then peel and slice the carrots." The Loud Father instructed proudly. "I'll prep the fish and the cabbage."

"Yes, Chef Dad." Lincoln replied with a salute. The one son went to filling a pot with coconut water while his father started to clean the cabbage and portion the filets. While Lincoln poured in the rice, he glanced toward the carrots and muttered something under his breath. The root vegetables rose from the counter of their own volition, along with the vegetable peeler. The peelers started to do their work while Lincoln sharpened his knife. "So, Dad, I hear you got a special visitor over Halloween."

"A special…? Oh, right!" Lynn Sr said, the memory coming back to him.

* * *

Flashback: Halloween Night

Lynn Sr was calmer than he had been in a long time this Halloween night. With Mr Talon taking care of the kids and Mrs Talon on trick or treat duty, he was able to avoid all the creepiness of Halloween entirely. However, by the same token, he did feel really bad that he wasn't able to spend the holiday with his kids because he was so scared. He sighed a bit as he made up some caramel apples for tomorrow; his own little way to make up for his absence. He was so focused on his work that he never heard Vanzilla pull up. He did, however, hear Rita as she called out "We're home!"

"Hey, honey! Hey kids! I'm in the kitchen." He responded, carrying a tray of fresh baked and coated apples to the counter.

"My, those do look quite tasty." Came a voice from behind the Loud father, which was followed by a sniffing sound. "That caramel smells just about right too." He turned his head, seeing someone who looked a lot like Lucy peering into the saucepan on the stove.

"Thanks, Lucy." He replied with a smile. "It was my grandmother's recipe…" He added, but then he noticed something was off. "...Lucy, did you change costumes? And when did you get so tall?" Lynn Sr asked, scratch his head as he looked down at her feet….or lack thereof. This made him blink, look back up at the woman he thought was Lucy, to where her feet were hovering, then back down to the ground. This went on for a full minute before she finally said something.

"Hello, Lynn. It has been a long time." Great Grandmother Harriet said softly. Lynn Sr proceeded to scream like a little girl and faint right on the spot.

"Oh dear…." Harriet sighed as she looked down at her unconscious grandson just as Rita and Cynthia ran in. "I didn't mean to surprise him like that…"

"A ghost!" Cynthia declared. "I'll go get my ectoplasm dispersal unit!...wait...I left that at home...I'll build a new one!"

"Cynthia! It's ok...this is Lynn's grandmother, Harriet. She came back today to visit us, not haunt us." Rita explained, holding the mad scientist's arm.

"Though, if I had the chance…." Harriet muttered, looking around at the house. "...would be nice to be closer to my great grandchildren…"

"Oh...well, I'll build another one anyway, cause now I really want to." Cynthia said with a shrug, hurrying off to the garage.

"Right...as for Lynn, I'll take care of this." Rita knelt down beside her husband, pulling a bottle of smelling salts from her purse. She passed the bottle under his nose, causing him to wince and wake up.

"What happened…?" He asked with a groan.

"I'm afraid you fainted, dear…" Harriet responded, leaning over him.

"AAAAAAAHHH! A ghost!" He screamed, curling up in front.

"Now is that any way to greet your Grandmother, Lynn?" She asked, sounding rather hurt.

"G….Grandmother?" He slowly moved his arm away from his eyes for another look. "G...G...Gramma Harriet? Is that really you?"

"It is, Lynn." Rita replied, helping him sit up.

"But..but she...she….passed away…."

"Quite true, dear. But with some help from Lucy, and the fact it's Halloween, I have returned." She floated closer to him. "Returned to see my family again after all these years." Lynn Sr just sat there, his mouth agape as she hovered before him. Harriet sighed and looked to Rita. "I think we need those sm-" Her thought was interrupted as a sobbing Lynn Sr throw his arms around the little ghost and pulled her into a tight bear hug.

"Gramma!" He cried as he...well...cried. "Gramma! I missed you so much!" He bawled.

"Lynn….dear…...choking….." Harriet gasped, the hug being way too tight for her. Lynn Sr's eyes opened wide as he loosened his grip on her. "Whew….thank you."

"Sorry, Gramma...but I couldn't help it…"

"Oh, it's quite alright, dear." Harriet replied with a smile, patting him on the head. "Now, why don't you pick yourself up off that cold floor and come join Gramma Harriet in the living room?" She requested as she and Rita helped him up. "And we can have a nice visit."

"But...the apples…"

"Don't worry, Lynn. I'll finish up here." Rita said, smiling as she threw his extra apron on, Harriet leading Lynn Sr into the living room.

End of Flashback

* * *

"We..spent the rest of the night catching up...talking about what's been going on with the family." Lynn Sr continued as he sniffled, brushing a few tears away. "Sorry...it was just a very emotional moment for me...seeing my Gramma again…"

"I know, Dad." Lincoln said with a smile, a little teary eyes himself. "I felt the same way when Lucy summoned her at the open house." The father and son looked at one another for a moment before they shared another hug.

"*sniff* We better get back to work, partner." Lynn Sr said trying not to cry again. "Or lunch is going to be late." Lincoln nodded, drying his eyes on his sleeve before he started to chop the carrots and his fathers started to sear the fish portions. It took a little longer than expected for them to finish prepping the meal, since they were cooking for fourteen. However, they managed to get all the cabbage wrapped fish into the sauce to stew in time. "That should do it. Fine job, sous chef." Lynn Sr commented, patting Lincoln on the head.

"Thanks, Chef Dad." Lincoln replied with a chuckle.

"All that's left is to make the salsa and let lunch stew for a while." The Loud Father said. "But I think we've run a little long. You better hurry so you can spend time with Luan."

"Right. It was good hanging and cooking with you Dad." Lincoln gave his father one more hug before he hurried off upstairs.

* * *

When Lincoln arrived at Luan and Luna's room, he found the family clown speaking to her dummy, Mr Coconuts. By the sound of it, they were discussing their upcoming act and where they were going to go with it. He gently raps on the door, getting their attention. "Come on in, Mr Wizard." Luan said with a smile, setting her little wooden partner down.

"Hope I'm not interrupting some funny business." Lincoln replied as he stepped inside.

"Nah. I got it all up here already." The comedian responded, tapping her head with a finger. "But it helps for me to get psyched to talk it over with Mr Coconuts, and spot things that may not work. After all, things you say out loud sound a lot different then they do in your head."

"Makes sense." The one son said as he sat down on Luan's bed. "So, what would you like to do?"

"Oh, nothing really. No harm in taking time to just sit back and...chill." She quipped as she slipped a few ice cubes she had hidden away down the back of his shirt.

"Ah! Cold!" Lincoln gasped as he leaped to his feet, dancing around frantically as he tried to get the freezing cubes off his back

"Hahahahahaha! Sorry, Linc, but that was just too perfect a set up." She said. To her surprise, Lincoln just chuckled in return.

"It's fine, Luan. Phanty's pulled her fair share of pranks on me back in Grimwood. I'm still pretty used to it." He explained to her with a shrug. What he didn't tell her what she even gave him some pointers on how to get back at Luan

"You usually are a pretty good sport, Linc." The family clown said with a smile as her brother sat down beside her.

"Well, the key is to not let it 'bug' you." He said as he slipped a rubber centipede onto her opposite shoulder.

"Amen to that, brother." She nodded in agreement, then felt something odd right by her neck. She glanced down and spotted the centipede, giving a short, soft shriek as she swatted the fake bug away. Lincoln laughed as the rubber insect hit the bed, not moving an inch. Upon closer inspection of the offending arthropod, she started laughing too.

"Good one, Lincoln. Bug...shoulda seen that coming. Classic." She told him, slapping him on the back as she snickered. "Whew...could you get me a glass of water, bro?"

"Sure thing, Luan." He responded as he stood up. Then he reached behind him and pulled off the 'kick me' sign she had put on his back. "But this can stay here."

"Well, I guess you're too smart for me." Luan said with the fakest innocent grin. Under normal circumstances, he would have been suspicious. However, having caught her prank before she could pull it, he was feeling pretty confident as he stepped out of the room. As he stepped toward the bathroom:

"Hey bro...I can understand the freedom, but I wouldn't advertise that." Lynn called to him before laughing and ducking back into her room. He looked back, wondering what she was talking about.

"Hi Lincoln. What're…" Lola started to say as she left the bathroom, but then she paused for a moment while Lincoln's back was to her. When he looked back, she was frowning at him. "...Like I wanted to know that…" She said in disgust, hastily walking past him.

"Wanted to know what?" Lincoln wondered, scratching his head. He got Luan a glass of water from the restroom just as Lori emerged from her room.

"Ugh….TMI, Lincoln…" She groaned.

"What are you talking about?" An annoyed Lincoln asked. In answer, the eldest sibling pulled something off his back: a piece of paper that said 'I'm not wearing underwear'. "...so that's not you want to play, is it?" Lincoln said as he crumbled up the piece of paper and leered back at where he knew the practical joker was. He could hear Luan cracking up in her room, so he felt it was safe for him to make his own move. He slipped down the stairs and hurried over to the kitchen. Digging through the spice cabinet, he finds the container of cayenne pepper.

A minute or two later, Lincoln returned to Luan's room with two glasses of water with a reddish hue to them. "Great joke, Luan." He complimented as he handed her the glass.

"Thanks, Linc. Sorry for making you look like a butt-head like that." She quipped before she looked at her water. "Oh, come on, Lincoln. Do you think I was born yesterday?" She asked with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Lincoln inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I know you probably put hot sauce or something in the drinks." She accused him, just as he took a swig of his own water. Her smirk faded when he didn't even react to it.

"What hot sauce? This is those water enhancer things Lori swears by. Adds vitamins to the water. I'm a growing boy, after all." He said. Luan looked at him carefully. Her brother was a bit of a wimp when it came to spices. If that didn't bother him, then maybe it was alright. She took a big drink from her cup, then nearly breathed fire. The white haired lad burst out laughing as he handed his own glass to Luan to help her put out the burning in her mouth. "Well, the one in my glass was. Yours was actually cayenne pepper."

"Oh, so you want to heat things up now, eh?" Luan asked with a really big grin. "Well, I'm gonna put a little pepper into this one." She pulled out her faithful extendable boxing glove, pointing it right at him.

"Whoa! Luan...let's not get rash." Lincoln said, backing away from her. She pulled the trigger and the fist flew right at Lincoln. With a shriek, he quickly covered his face, waiting for the impact...that never came. He slowly peeked around his arm to see the glove frozen in place inches from his face.

"You're right, Lincoln. Perhaps we should hug and-" She pressed another button on the glove's handle, which caused a compartment to open up on the glove. As Lincoln let his guard down, a stream of grease paint spewed all over his face. When the paint had cleared, Lincoln's face was made up just like Lola's before a pageant. "-make up!" She joked before she roared with laughter again.

"Oh ha ha." Lincoln replied, looking a little sour at first, but then smirking devilishly. "But I think you are mistaken, dear sister." He started to say, in a very Lola-esque way that actually made Luan a little nervous. "...it's KISS and make up." He said as he started walking toward her.

"Oh no…" Luan said with a giggle, backing up, holding her hands out. "Stay ehehehe away…"

"What's the matter? Don't you want a kiss from your little brother?" He asked with a snicker. He suddenly dove on her, both of them laughing as he kissed her cheeks a couple times, smearing the grease paint onto her face. When all was said and done, both Lincoln and Luan's faces were a mess, but they were laughing too much to care about it.

"Well played, brother o' mine." Luan said once she had the breath to do so.

"Thanks." Lincoln replied as he wiped the paint from his face. "You surprised me with that make up gag. Never saw it coming."

"Surprise is one of the many keys of comedy." Luan said in an almost sage manner, Lincoln passing her the towel. "And you surprised me, Lincoln. Never expected you to prank me back."

"I had a feeling you would appreciate a little prank off." He told her. "So long as things didn't get out of hand."

"And I do." She said, pulling him into a hug. "Very much so." Lincoln smiled as he returned the hug. "Well, we still have about twenty minutes. How about we unwind, while I try a few of my new jokes on you?" Luan offered as she helped him up.

"Sounds good to me. Any more pranks would have probably wiped me out, and I still have seven other people to hang with." Lincoln said with a soft laugh as he sat in Luna's beanbag chair in front of Luan's stage to watch her latest performance.

* * *

Lucy was waiting patiently in her room for her brother, as eager as the rest of the sisters, only calmly so. She tried to work on her poetry, but found she couldn't concentrate. Even her bust of Edwin couldn't keep her attention for long. Her patience was eventually rewarded, as a knock came to her and Lynn's door. "Enter."

"Hi Lucy." Lincoln said, carrying Lily in his arms. "I hope you don't mind sharing with Lily…but she was getting kinda cranky and about to start caterwauling…."

"That's fine, actually." Lucy admitted, a small smile on her face. "She may like what I had in mind anyway." Lincoln looked a little confused until his gothic sister elaborated. "I'd like you to teach me some magic. Some real magic." The white haired boy had to think about this for a moment. He couldn't think of a reason not to. After all, none of the spells he knew were all that dangerous if used properly, with a few exceptions, and Miss Grimwood never said he couldn't share what he knew. Besides, Lucy was confirmed to be a witch.

"Alright. I think I can teach you a little of what I know." He told her, getting a bigger grin from her. "And how about you, Lily? You want to watch your brother do magic?" Lily giggled and nodded, clapping her hands. "Alright. You just sit right there." He placed her right on Lynn's bed, then moved to the center of the room. Now he just needed to pick a safe, simple spell. "We can start with the very first spell I cast successfully; the size manipulation spell." He looked around the room for a moment, his eyes resting up the mug full of pencils on her desk. "Might I borrow a pencil, please?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." He said as he took one of the pencils and set it on the floor. "Now, to cast this spell, you need to perform a specific hand motion; like this." He raised one hand upward, twirled his finger around for a few seconds, then thrust his finger toward the pencil. The morose little girl nodded as she watched, imitating him as he demonstrated the motions a few more times. "Good. Looks like you got that down. Now, try it one more time, only this time, recite the magic word: Incantorum."

"Inkin tara!" Lily babbled cheerfully.

"Hehehe. Good try, Lily." The white haired boy said with a chuckle, patting his baby sister's arm.

"Incantorum." Lucy chanted as she pointed toward the pencil on the floor. A few dark gray and black sparks flew from the end of her finger to the writing instrument on the ground. The item instantly grew three times its original size.

"Lucy! You did it!" Lincoln exclaimed, while Lily clapped her approval. "And on your first shot too." This brought a legit smile to the young goth's face. "Way to go. Maybe we can try something more advanced." Lincoln suggested as her moved the oversized pencil out of the way.

"You're the teacher, Lincoln." She replied, sounding raring to go.

"Hmmmm. Ah, I know. Let's try conjuring a small object." He said after a few seconds pondering. "It sounds simple, but it's a lot more complicated than causing something that already exists to grow or shrink."

"Poo poo?" Lily inquired.

"Yes, Lily. Much more. Now, first, we're going to need a piece of the material of the thing you want to create." Lucy already had an idea of where she was going to go with this. She moves over to her desk and picks up a chip from the damaged skull sitting on her desk.

"Lynn broke off a piece of my favorite skull with her tennis ball. It inspired me." Lucy explained as she held the bone chip tenderly in her hand. Lincoln gulped a bit, before she continued. "It's plastic….unfortunately." Her older brother felt much better about that. After all, he never tried to create something like real bone before.

"Ahem...anyway, with your material component in hand, you need to focus on what you want to create…" He paused a moment to give her the opportunity to envision her final product. In the meantime, he pulled a scrap of paper from his own pocket. "Now, while the vision of what you want to create is fresh in your mind, you need to say the words harpinon, pallitalace, the name of the object you wish to create, grammato, legiz." He said the magic words slowly, so's not to accidently cast it himself. "Like this." He took a deep breath, holding the paper scrap in his hands. "Harpinon pallitalace paper grammato legiz!" Golden light shone from his hand as a fresh sheet of paper appeared from where there was once just a little piece.

"Wicked."

NIce, isn't it? But don't try it on money. There are laws against magical counterfeiting too." Lincoln warned, though he didn't think he needed to worry about it from her. "Anyway, now you try."

"Ahem. Harpinon pallitalace skull grammato legiz." Lucy chanted. The darker light shone in front of her as the plastic piece formed a brand new plastic skull...but not quite the same as her original. It looked more...cartoony.

"Was that what you were going for?" Lincoln asked, his head tilted slightly.

"No….my mind wandered as I was casting it…" Lucy replied sadly. "Well….at least it is still a skull…."

"Hmmmm. You know what that kinda looks like to me?" Lincoln asked, getting the little goth's attention. "Something from that festival Ronnie Anne told me about a little while back. What did she call it? Dais de la muertos?"

"...the day of the dead?"

"That's the one. Looks a little like one of those skulls. With a little decorating, it could be a dead ringer for it, no pun intended." Lucy considered what he said for a moment, looking at the goofy looking skull in her hand.

"Light hearted and festive, but still morbid…" she said quietly, a smile starting to creep onto her face. "Lincoln, you're brilliant."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far…" Her older brother said, rubbing the back of his head with a blush. Lucy moves over to her desk to place her new skull next to her old one, planning to paint it properly later. "I think we have time for one more spell….huh?" Lincoln felt a little tug at his leg. Looking down, he saw Lily trying to get his attention. "What's the matter, Lily? Do you have a request?" She held her arms up to him, babbling a bit. "Oh, you want to be picked up. OK. Up we go." He leaned down and held the infant in his arms, making her giggle happily.

"Waagaa laa laa, poo poo." She said, though Lincoln wasn't sure what she was trying to say.

"I think she wants you to show us another spell with pretty lights." Lucy translated, the little infant nodded in confirmation.

"Well, that's actually a lot of them, but I think I know of one she'll like." He said, moving Lily to one arm as he held a hand in front of him. He clenched his hand into a fist like he were crushing a bug, focusing on his hand. Beams of light started to shine from between his fingers, Lily watching with wonder. After a few seconds of focusing, he opened his hand to reveal a baseball sized sphere of yellow light. Upon releasing it, the light floated a few inches from his fingers, hovering in place. Lily cooed and clapped as she saw it, reaching out to the glowing orb. "You want to touch? Well, you can try...but be careful, Lily. If you're too rough, it'll burst and that'll hurt your eyes." He moved the ball of light closely to Lily, who tried to take it in her hands. However, an invisible force prevented her from actually touching it. Lily was confused and curious, trying to grab it. It bounced out of her big brother's hand and onto the floor, where it bounced a little while rolling.

"I think she likes it." Lucy commented as Lily giggled even more, squirming in Lincoln's arm, wanting to go after it.

"I think you're right. OK, Lily. Just be careful...and stay in here. We don't want you getting hurt." He set the baby down, who crawled right after the light ball, batting it around the room like it were a ball to play with. "Now, if you want to create one of your own, Lucy, you-" He turned toward his younger sister, but she already had a sphere of black light in her own hand. "...nevermind, I see you're already ahead of me." Lucy gave a soft chuckle, but then suddenly felt faint. She dropped her light ball and fell back toward the ground. Lincoln gasped and rushed over to catch her. "Lucy! Are you alright?"

"I think so...just tired…" She admitted to him.

"Like I said earlier...magic can put quite a bit of strain on the body." He explained, helping her onto her bed. "But the more you practice, the less it should affect you..getting a little exercise wouldn't hurt either."

"You're one to talk." Lucy joked with a half smirk.

"Hey, since I've gone to Grimwood's, I've gotten plenty of exercise, both in PE and playing with Winnie." Lincoln replied defensively, but he smiled back at the tired little goth. "I think that's enough magic for you for one day."

"Yeah..you're probably right...thank you for teaching me, big brother…"

"You're welcome, Lucy." He replied, giving her a soft hug. Lily paused in the act of playing when she saw the two of them hugging. Wanting to be a part of it, she crawled over and put her arms around Lincoln's right leg, giggling. He looked down at the infant before he picked her up. "I'll take Lily back to her room. As for you, I suggest you take a little nap or something, regain your energy." Lucy seemed to be one step ahead of him, flopping over onto her mattress, snoozing quietly. The one son chuckled lightly and quietly left the room, taking Lily back to her crib for her own nap.

* * *

After Lincoln left Lucy and Lily to rest up after the magic lesson, he made his way downstairs to meet with his mother. When he arrived in the living room, he saw she wasn't alone. Luna was sitting beside her on the couch, the two of them talking over cups of coffee. What about, Lincoln didn't know. Wasn't really his business. Their conversation ceased, however, when he reached the bottom stair. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" He asked as the two looked at him.

"Not at all, brah." Luna replied with a smile.

"We were just discussing holiday plans." Rita said after taking a sip of coffee. "Come on over and have a seat, Lincoln. I'm sure you're tired after running around the house all day." While he hadn't done a lot of actual running, his time with Lynn and all the magic he cast that day had done a number on his energy reserves.

"Don't mind if I do." He responded, taking a seat on the nearest recliner.

"So, Linc, why don't you tell us about your time over at Grimwood?" Luna said, smiling over at her younger brother.

"Yes, please." Rita added. "You've told us a little about it over the phone, and at the open house, but there's still a lot you haven't told us."

"Hmmm. Well, if you like. Well, when I first arrived, it was...interesting to say the least." Lincoln sighed, looking down at his feet. "I'm...kinda ashamed to admit that when I first met the girls...I ran away from them."

"Awwww, that ain't cool, bro...but I guess if I were faced with real monsters, I woulda done the same." Luna said.

"Judging by how close you all seem to be now, I assume you eventually came to your senses?" Rita inquired.

"Yeah, thanks to a little help and kindness from Tanis." Lincoln explained. "The girls were really understanding about it too. More so than Matches."

"Matches?"

"Miss Grimwood's pet dragon. He...doesn't like me, to put it lightly."

"Whoa! Miss G has a pet dragon!?" Luna looked shocked at this revelation, nearly dropping her mug. Rita, on the other hand, looked frightened.

"A little one. About Charles' size." Lincoln reassured them, not wanting his mother to get too scared and potentially pull him out of Grimwood.

"Oh….well, that's different...kind of." Rita said, though she still had a look of concern about her. "I trust Miss Grimwood trained him well."

"Of course, but he does hold a grudge...and I kinda stepped on him my first day." Lincoln admitted. "I didn't even see him there!" He added hastily before anyone could say anything further.

"Just like Cliff...not careful at all about where he naps?"

"Pretty much." He answered. "Anyway, things did go more smoothly after that, except for M-149 wanting nothing to do with me and Gila being scared witless around me."

"Yeah, about that, bro…" Luna said with a light frown. "Seems her old man had a hand in that."

"Huh?"

"What'd you say, Luna?" Rita asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Gila's pop, the Creature, told her stories about humans when she was a little guppy. And he made them as scary as possible, to 'keep her safe'." Luna said, with air quotes. Lincoln's jaw dropped a bit, while Rita just sighed. "I set him straight back at on Halloween though, Linc, and hopefully, he told her the truth like he promised."

"I think he did. Gila seems a lot more at ease around me than usual." Lincoln said.

"Well, I think you did most of the work there." Rita said, smiling with pride at her son. "How did you go about it?"

"I took your advice and just talked to her. Granted, at first, it was through a wall, but it was a start. First day, I told her how I felt about the situation, but also made sure to let her know I wanted to help and would be ready to listen if she ever wanted to talk." Lincoln told them. "After a talk or two, she seemed more comfortable talking to me that she would come on her own to chat. Gave us a chance to get to know one another better. Not only that, but she moved from the opposite side of the wall to right by the door, so we could talk face to face. Eventually, we reached the point where we can sit next to each other in class without her so much as twitching." He elaborated, smiling. "Especially helpful when it came to the big volleyball game. She's still skittish around large groups of humans, but it's still a big step for her, and I'm proud of her."

"That's my bro." Luna said with a big grin. "Can do more with just words and a plan than most folks can...especially now he's learning magic."

"What about Miss 149? I don't recall seeing her at the Open House." Rita asked.

"That's because they stayed away from everyone at the party." Luna told her mother.

"Unfortunately, Milly and her mother seem to share in the belief that martians are superior to earthlings in every way." Lincoln included sadly. "Well, in all fairness, Milly was getting A LITTLE better about it before then."

"Though from what LIsa told us, she fed them a piece of humble pie." Luna said with a grin.

"Pardon?" Rita asked, worried about what that possibly meant.

"When Lisa paid the martians a visit at Grimwood's…" Lincoln started to explain. "...seems she got into a battle of wits with Milly's mother...and came out ahead."

"Oh dear...I hope there weren't any bitter feelings after…"

"I don't think you need to worry, Mom." Luna responded, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Looked to me like Leese defused any kind of bad situation that might have come from it. Heck, looked like she even became friends with the little one and her dad."

"Thank goodness…" The Loud mother looked utterly relieved. "I don't think I could have handled having martians angry at our Lisa…just knowing they're real is already a lot to take in."

"At any rate, even before then, I thought I was making a little progress with her. After we found out how much she enjoyed flying the drone, I invited her to join me whenever I went out to practice with it." Lincoln said.

"That was very nice of you, Lincoln."

"She seemed to think so too. I can't really say we became friends yet, but at very least, she's not as harsh to me."

"Speaking of friends...who was that man with the two dogs at the Open House?" Rita asked. "They didn't look like they were part of any of the families there…"

"They weren't. They're friends of Miss Grimwood's and ex-gym teachers. The man's name is Shaggy. Nice guy, but sounds kind of...how to put it nicely…" Lincoln paused for a moment to find the right words. "...overly fearful, I guess? The girls and Miss Grimwood think very highly of him though. The same with his dogs, Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo."

"Hmmmm. I've heard those names before...but where?" Rita pondered quietly.

"The dogs taught gym there? Come on, Linc...that's a bit far fetched." Luna said with a soft laugh.

"I would have thought so too, before I met them." Lincoln responded. "But they're far from ordinary dogs. They can talk and everything. Besides Luna, considering we just discussed actual alien life forms, are talking dogs that teach phys ed really that far outside the realm of possibility?" Luna rubbed her chin as she processed what her brother had said.

"Well, when you put it like that...I guess not." She finally said.

"I've had a chance to chat with them during and after the volleyball game." Lincoln continued. "They seemed to have a pretty active life before and after Grimwood. Shaggy said he used to be a funny car driver back in the day."

"THAT'S where I heard those names before!" Rita suddenly exclaimed, snapping her fingers and startling her children. "When I was growing up, Pop Pop would sometimes tune in to car races if the mood suited him. I remember their car being one of the more versatile; with a trick to handle most any situation."

"Whoa. So why didn't they continue racing?"

"They gave it up to pursue a mystery solving career with their friends before they took the job at Grimwood's and after they left last year." Lincoln answered.

"They were only employed there for a year? Why did they leave so soon?" Rita asked suspiciously.

"Nerves." Lincoln replied simply, silent for a moment before he added. "Partially because of an incident that happened the previous year." He braced himself for his mother to go into over-protective mode.

"Incident? What incident?" Rita asked, her eyes locked onto Lincoln. He sighed, knowing this was coming, but they would have to know sooner or later.

"Last year, around this time, a witch by the name of Revolta, witch of the web, attempted to kidnap the girls and brainwash them to serve her." He admitted, a scary silence following his words. "Thanks to Shaggy, Scooby, Scrappy and the Calloway Cadets, the girls were saved." He added in an attempt to turn the mood around. "And from what Miss Grimwood told me, Revolta was powerless after her defeat and being hunted down by their fathers...I don't think she'll be bothering them ever again."

"...and what exactly did Miss Grimwood do?" Rita asked in a voice of forced calm.

"She's since set up several layers of defenses around the school." Lincoln told her, becoming quite worried. "Anyone who isn't a student or member of staff at Grimwood who tries to enter the grounds will sorely regret it."

"I see...so she has at least taken steps to make the school a safer place." The Loud Mother said, feeling a bit more at ease, but also having a nagging feeling that wasn't the whole story. However, she didn't want to spoil the mood. This was supposed to be a pleasant time. She could always question Miss Grimwood about it later.

"So...what are Shaggy and his dog pals planning to do now?" Luna asked, trying to steer the subject back to calmer waters.

"Shaggy's considering getting back into racing." Lincoln responded, still a little shaky about the conversation they just had. "And Scrappy will probably return to being a personal trainer."

"A puppy has a job like that?" A flabbergasted Rita inquired.

"Lisa teaches at a college level around here, Mom." Luna pointed out.

"A fair point...it just strikes me as a little odd."

"In the meantime, they're staying at Grimwood's for a little while." Lincoln said. "Helping Miss Grimwood out."

'That does get me thinking…' Rita thought as Lincoln continued his story. 'Nine children, a few of which teens, does seem a bit much for one person...even if they're a witch. Perhaps when I call Abigail later, I will suggest, tactfully, that she seek to employ more teachers…' She took a sip of her cooling coffee. 'It would be in the students' best interest...if it took a man, two dogs and some children to save them from a witch last time…'

"Mom? Hey Mom? Everything ok?" Luna asked, snapping her mother out of her musings.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I was just...thinking." She said, smiling lightly at her children. "I suppose I zoned out...what was it you were saying?"

"Lincoln was just telling us about what happened with the Calloway Cadets before the Open House."

"Well, you see, the Colonel had gotten a notice, see, that their school was going to be inspected. The army was closing schools to make way for bigger schools. So…"

* * *

"Come on, Linc! This way!" Lana called out as she ran through the woods. Lincoln was a fair distance behind her, having a little more trouble navigating than she was. He wasn't entirely sure why his little sister was asking him to come this far out into the woods with her; even less so when she asked him to bring his phone in a sandwich bag. However, it was her half hour to spend with him, and she clearly had a plan. She waited for Lincoln by a large, deep lake, putting her head light on her hat. "Ok, Lincoln. We're here. You got your phone in a bag?"

"Yeah.." A tired Lincoln replied, showing her the smartphone in the plastic bag.

"Good. How about a light?" LIncoln took a moment to conjure a small sphere of light. "That'll work. Ok. Follow me."

'That's what I've been doing.' Lincoln thought as Lana dove into the lake, much to his shock. Even in autumn, that water had to be frigid. However, he said he would, so he followed her in. Indeed, the water was cold, but not as bad as he thought. He swam after Lana as she headed toward the bottom, staying closer to the shore wall. After a few seconds, she darted into a small opening in the wall. It was easy enough for her to get through, but proved challenging for Lincoln, who was bigger than she was. It was getting near the point where he was desperately needing a breath of air when he suddenly reached an air pocket. He took a deep gasp and looked around. Lana wasn't far away, laying on her belly on one of the few patches of stone in this cramped place. He drifted over and tried to squeeze in beside her. "Ok, Lana. What-"

"Sssshhhh. Keep your voice down." She said in a very low voice, pointing in front of her. Inside a small pool of water was a cluster of translucent eggs. Eggs he had never seen before. "Hurry. Get out your phone and start recording. It should happen any second now." Lincoln wasn't sure what she was talking about, but did as she asked anyway. He pulled his phone out of the bag (that request finally making sense to him) and started the camera app on his phone. The moment he started recording video footage, one of the eggs started to hatch. Lincoln's mouth hung agape while Lana had a starry eyed look in her eyes. From out of the tiny egg came a tiny, glowing, white salamander.

"Lana...what are they?" Lincoln asked in a whisper.

"These are albino cave salamanders." Lana explained in a hush voice. "Very rare around these parts."

"Why are they glowing?"

"I dunno. I think it only happens right after they hatch." Lana theorized, her thought supported by the fact the newly hatched amphibian stopped emitting its strange glow seconds later. Soon, more and more salamanders started to hatch, a larger, pale white cave salamander starting to corral them up as they're born.

"It's...beautiful." Lincoln commented in an awestruck voice.

"Yeah...and I can't think of anyone I'd rather share this special moment with than my big buddy." Lana said, putting an arm around her older brother, prompting Lincoln to return the gesture with a smile. He would have hugged her, but there wasn't enough room for that. After around five minutes, all the eggs had finally hatched and the mother amphibian had finished gathering her babies, probably trying to protect them from the two intruders in her lair. Lincoln put his phone back in the bag, but it looked like Lana wasn't done. "Excuse me...ma'am." Lana whispered. "Do you think we could take the egg remains, please?"

"Hmmm? Oh, why not? They're just cluttering the nursery anyway."

"Thanks." Lana replied, taking out a pair of plastic vials. She scooped up some water with a copious amount of the empty egg fragments in each. Once she capped them off and safely tucked them away, she signalled to Lincoln it was time to go. A minute or two later, they were back on dry land, soaking wet and cold, but glad that had done it.

"That was amazing Lana. Thanks for inviting me." The white haired boy said.

"Thank you for coming, Linc!" She said as she gave him a big hug. ""Oh! By the way…" She took out one of the vials with the egg fragments within and handed it to him. "Here. So you can always have something to remember what we saw."

"So that's why you wanted these." Lincoln said as he took the little container in hand. "I thought Lisa wanted a sample."

"Oh, I'll let her have a few." Lana said. "But the rest are for my memories. Oh, and make sure you send me and Lisa a copy of that video too. She's gonna flip over that."

"Hahaha. Alright. As soon as I have a signal, I'll take care of it."

"You're the best, Linc." Lana said, taking his hand as they headed off for home. Lincoln was sure he was going to catch his fair share of cold for this...but was it ever worth it.

* * *

Lori was laying on her bed, texting Bobby as she waited for Lincoln. She was feeling pretty worried. She didn't really have anything planned for her time spent with her younger brother. She was asking her boyfriend for some help and inspiration when he came a knocking. The eldest of the Loud sisters gulped as she looked to the door. "Come in." Her snow haired little brother stepped into the room, looking rather anxious himself. "Hey Lincoln."

"Hey Lori." He replied. "Can...can I get a bit of advice from you?"

"Advice?" She asked, wondering what was eating him.

"Yeah….." He looked around for a moment before he whispered. "...relationship advice." The moment she heard him say that, her face lit up like a lightbulb. In a flash, she had set up a tent made of blankets and pulled her brother inside.

"Ok, Lincoln. Let me have it." She said with a big smile. "Wait...let me guess...it involves Sibella, doesn't it?"

"Yeah...it does…" He answered. He covered his ears as Lori let loose a high pitched squee upon hearing it.

"I knew it!" She cheered.

"...and Ronnie Anne…." Lincoln added solemnly. The phone obsessed sister squeed again, before realization struck like a slap in the face.

"Oooooh….." Her face fell to something very similar to Lincoln's. "I think we better start at the beginning, Lincoln…"

"Well, as you probably know, Sibella really likes me…" Lincoln started, laying back like he were on a psychiatrist couch. "...and, being really honest here...I really like her too." Lori nodded, smiling lightly at him. "In the comparatively short time we've known each other...I feel we have a real connection…" He gave Lori a chance to go 'Awwwwww…' before he continued. "But...by the same token...I also had...still have...feelings for Ronnie Anne…"

"So...all those times you say you and Ronnie Anne were 'just friends'...?" Lori asked with a small smirk.

"We really were...or at least, I believed we were...we agreed that was for the best when she moved away...but deep down...I guess there was something there...not just for me, but I think Ronnie Anne too." He said, trying not to look at his sister's excitement. "...so when she snuck her way to Grimwood's for the Open House…"

"Wait...she snuck into the Open House?" Lori asked in surprise. "Is that why she was grounded?" Lincoln nodded in reply.

"She said she wanted to see me...it was a big risk to take, especially with all the security measures Miss Grimwood had in place. If they were active during the Open House...well, I don't even want to imagine it…" He shuddered a bit. He had no idea what the head mistress had prepared to unwelcome guests, but he doubted it would be good for the intruder. "But the point is...the fact she was willing to go so far...it brought those deep down feelings and brought them right up...and I think she feels mutually about me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"...before she left, she kissed me. She never kissed me before." Lincoln admitted. That was evidence enough for Lori. "So you see my problem? I have two girls I care a lot about, who care a lot about me…."

"How do they get along?" Lori asked, praying that they got along well.

"...they don't." Lincoln answered flatly, causing his oldest sister to wince. "They didn't get off on the right foot when they first met and, although I did get them to stop openly fighting….I suspect they do still fight when I'm not around." He sighed, closing his eyes. Lori felt deep sympathy for her brother. This was a situation no one should be in; the kind of stuff that should only happen in soaps and cartoons. She felt a little out of her element here as well; most of her advice was usually drawn from experience, but she never had to deal with two lovers at once. The two sat in silence for nearly two minutes while Lori pondered what she was going to say.

"...I'm not going to lie, Lincoln….this is a bad situation…" She said, not that she needed to tell him that. "And certainly a difficult one...but every relationship is built on communication." She added. "So the first thing I am going to suggest is talking to both Sibella and Ronnie Anne. Tell them how you feel, about the both of them and the situation you find yourselves in."

"Together…?" Lincoln asked warily.

"...I guess so, if you can manage it without them literally being at each other's throats." She answered after a moment's hesitation. "Honestly, it would probably be easier if you can talk to them one at a time."

'Well, I'll be seeing Ronnie Anne tonight, so I could talk to her first.' He thought to himself. He just prayed she would understand. 'But even if we got beyond that...the fact I would need to choose one of them…' As this thought crossed Lincoln's mind, he felt himself become rather queasy.

"...I know this probably isn't the kind of advice you'll want to hear...but the only advice I can give you...is to follow your heart." She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The middle Loud sighed again when he heard that.

"That's part of the problem, Lori….it's leading me in two directions at the same time." He responded, looking up at the ceiling of the blanket tent.

"Sorry, Lincoln...but no one said romance was always a simple thing…"

"You and Bobby make it seem so easy…."

"Oh, trust me, Lincoln. It took us a while to get to that point, and even then there are sticking points….granted, that teleporting thing you gave us has the potential to help smooth out a few of those wrinkles...but I digress." She gently places her hand on Lincoln's cheek and turns his head to face her. "Love is both the simplest and most complicated thing, Lincoln, and there are rarely ever any easy answers to it."

"So, no matter what I do...I'm going to end up hurting one of them…" He replied lifelessly; the last thing he wanted to do to either of them.

"I'm afraid so...but knowing you, bro, you'll do your darnedest to make it hurt as little as possible." She gave him a weak smile, patting him on the head. He just looked back at her with a dead stare. "...didn't help…?"

"Not really….but thanks for trying anyway, Lori." He replied, sitting up and giving her a hug, which she returned in kind.

"Don't worry, Lincoln...everything will work out in the end…." She said quietly.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me with this model, Lincoln." Zanya said, as she and Lincoln as the two of them worked on a large model of a strange, dodecahedron shaped spaceship. "This Droid mothership really requires two sets of hands to work on."

"No problem, Zanya." Lincoln replied. "I've been wanting to try my hand at putting one of these together for a while now, but I didn't think any of my sisters would have been up to helping me." He added, as he glued another part of the hull on. The model wasn't necessarily complicated, since they didn't have to build the entire interior of the craft, but it had to be made big in order to be to scale. A daunting task for most model builders, but Lincoln and Zanya were up to the task. "So, how have things been for you here in Royal Woods?"

"Much better lately, after everyone learned about and accepted me being a zombie." The Grimwood girl explained as she carefully inserted one of the oddly shaped inner pieces, which held the whole model together assembled properly. "Though things did almost go pear shaped there at one point."

"You mean, with Malora?" Lincoln asked.

"You heard about that?"

"My sisters mentioned she was giving you trouble at the open house, and that she got what was coming to her, but they didn't really go into any specifics." Lincoln explained, moving quickly to stop a piece from oozing out of place due to the glue not being dry yet.

"Giving me trouble was putting it lightly." The zombie gal said, sighing a bit. "She seemed to make it her life's work to make me miserable, just because I didn't want to be her 'associate'. She even hired some punks to steal all my snacks at the mall, just so she could watch me nearly starve…"

"Yeesh...that's just sick and twisted…" Lincoln replied with a grimace.

"Believe it or don't, it actually gets worse." Zanya said seriously. "...she tried to turn the entire school, and the entire town against me."

"You can't be serious….no way she has that much clout…."

"She apparently does. She passed out flyers telling kids I was a zombie, after she spied on me to learn that I might add...fortunately, our classmates were kinda cool about it. Some were scared, of course, but after I explained myself to them, they warmed up to me. It helped that I had the support of good friends like Clyde, Zach, Rusty, Liam, Girl Jordan and Stella…"

"Yeah, they are great, aren't they?" Lincoln said with a chuckle. "They always had my back when I was here."

"...and a great boyfriend like Chandler." Zanya continued with a big smile.

"...wait. Chandler? Boyfriend?" The middle Loud asked, thinking he couldn't have heard that right.

"I know you and Chandler have a bit of a history, Lincoln…" Zanya started to say, still smiling. "...and yes, I do admit he can be a bit pompous and a little jerkish at times, but deep down, he is a sweet, brave, chivalrous guy." Lincoln was silent for a moment as he processed this. A part of him didn't want to believe this, but another more logical part realized he didn't really know Chandler that well to begin with. They never really interacted much since the whole birthday party at the sewage plant thing. Maybe there was something else to him. And if he made Zanya happy, then clearly he couldn't be all bad, right?

"...well, hearty congrats to the two of you." Lincoln finally said, with a sincerity that made the zombie girl giggle. "How long have you two been a couple?"

"Since Halloween, after we had a bit of an adventure in the woods by his house." She explained. "But that's a story for another time. After her attempt to turn the school against me failed, she sent texts to all the parents in town, warning them a dangerous monster was after their kids."

"You're kidding….."

"I wish I was...and they bought it too." Zanya replied, her face falling. "They chased me right out of school and all the way back home...with the intent of destroying the monster…" The white haired boy pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning in disgust.

"So practically the entire town...believed you were a dangerous monster...on the word of a text they received from someone I DOUBTED they knew…?" He asked slowly, praying it wasn't the case. When Zanya nodded, he groaned again. "...this town is full of idiots…"

"I've been saying that for a long time…" Lisa dead panned as she walked past the door, carrying some mason jars to her room.

"To be fair, not all the grown ups thought so. After I was chased out of school, our friends sent distress calls to their parents, and they all came right to my aid, especially your parents. Your Dad was ready to take on the whole mob with a string of frozen sausages."

"Yikes. Dad doesn't usually pull out Brat-Jiutsu unless it's serious business."

"And serious it was. Things might have turned ugly, but then Mommy and Daddy showed up. With a little intimidation and diplomacy, they were able to calm the crowd, but Malora still tried to cause trouble from within the crowd…"

"Seriously…? Can't she accept the fact she lost gracefully?" Lincoln asked in a very annoyed tone.

"Not at all. Fortunately, Chandler's parents knew her parents, so they called them to the scene." She continued the story, tentatively placing one of the large faces of the ship into place.

"What are they like? Are they as bad as her?" He was as he put his hand on the piece she just glued in to keep it there.

"No. They seemed like decent enough people. Just….not very attentive, though they promised that would change after they punished her."

"Whatever happened to her after that?" Lincoln inquired. "Did she go to jail? Please tell me she went to jail."

"That was an option, but I decided that, for someone as selfish as her, juvie would have been too easy." She pulled out her phone and opened a ViewTube video showing a video of Malora, in an orange prison jumpsuit, cleaning up litter by the side of the highway with a couple other delinquents. She was almost done with her section when a car drove by, hitting her in the head with a crumpled up, greasy fast food carryout bag, making the two kids laugh. The video ended with her screaming at the driver about littering. "So we decided she should do community service for as long as she would have been sentences to juvie. For someone as selfish as her, this is probably even worse."

"Hahahaha. I guess so...but a part of me thinks she still should go to prison for a little while." Lincoln commented.

"Anyway, since then, things have gotten much better. I can participate in gym, recess, and the soccer team without worry, I don't need to keep what I am a secret anymore, and I've made even more new friends." Zanya concluded the story as she and Lincoln put the final piece of the model into place. "There."

"I'm glad to hear things are going so well for you now, Zanya." Lincoln said with a smile as they stepped back to admire their work.

"Thanks, Lincoln. I hear you've been doing alright over at Grimwood's." She commented, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. There were a few bumps in the path, but I really love it there." He told her. "In fact...I'm thinking about transferring there after the exchange period is over."

"Really? That would be awesome!" Zanya said excitedly, raising her arms in celebration...or at least trying. The hand she had placed on his shoulder was stuck to his shirt. Seems there was still some glue on her hand. "...Oops."

"Not a problem. We can fix this." Lincoln said, taking hold of her hand and gently trying to remove it from his shirt while Zanya pulled on her arm. With their combined effort, something had to give. No, it wasn't the glue, nor Lincoln's shirt. It was the stitches holding Zanya's wrist in place. The zombie girl fell back on her rump, her hand still sticking to his shoulder. She took one look at her now handless wrist and the appendage still caught on Lincoln, and she just laughed.

"Maaaybe we should go see Lisa about a glue removing solvent." Lincoln suggested with a chuckle.

* * *

Once Lincoln and Zanya straightened out their glue issue and Lisa reattached the zombie girl's hand to her arm, Lincoln grabbed his phone from his room and sent a text to his friends. With some of his family agreeing to share their time with him, he was put ahead of schedule, and he wanted to let his friends know about this. With all texts sent, he smiled as he slid down the handrail of the stairs and landed on his feet on the landing below. Everything was going according to plan, and he loved it when that happened. "Mom, Dad, I'm heading out to Gus' to meet with my friends." He called out. "I'll be back by dinner."

"Ok, Lincoln. Just be careful out there." Lynn Sr called from the couch as he watched the news with Leni.

"Need a lift there, Linc?" Lori offered, standing at the entryway to the dining room, twirling her keys on her finger.

"Thanks, but I'll just take my bike." He replied. "It's a nice day, and it'll take the guys time to get there anyway."

"Suit yourself. Have fun."

"Thanks. I will." He said as he departed from his house, circling around to the garage to grab his bike. He was about to start cycling away away when he spotted someone who seemed very out of place in his neighborhood. A tall, dirty blond haired man in a black business suit standing across the street from his house. He hadn't seen anyone like him on the street before. Then again, he had been gone for several weeks. Someone probably moved in in his absence. Still, someone wearing that expensive looking a suit? Lincoln pretended to fiddle with the chin strap of his bike helmet while the man glanced at his watch. Waiting for something? Just as Lincoln was about to head out, the man looked up the street and waved his hand. A taxi cab pulled up in front of him, which he quickly entered, the cab driving off in all haste. 'So he was just waiting for a cab?' The white haired boy wondered as he pedaled down the street. He figured he would text back home later, see if anyone else knew who he was.

It took Lincoln about twenty minutes to reach Gus'. When he arrived, Clyde, Stella and Rusty were already there, sitting in a booth sharing some garlic knots. "Lincoln! There you are." Stella called out as soon as she saw him, waving him over.

"Hey guys!" Lincoln said as he waved back, joining them in the booth.

"Good to see you again, buddy." Clyde said, the two friends bumping fists.

"How's it hanging, romeo." Rusty said with a grin. Lincoln's face flushed a little as he remembered his family and all his friends had seen Sibella kiss him.

"So...where are the others?" Lincoln asked, hoping to avoid getting interrogated about it.

"They're on their way." The bespectacled boy responded. "They got a little caught up in a game. They didn't expect you to be ready early."

"Neither did I, truth be told."

"And Girl Jordan was just finishing up her homework. She should be here shortly." Stella said.

"Awesome. So, what have I missed in the time I was gone?" Lincoln asked. "Apart from the whole Malora mess. Zanya told me all about it."

"Well, that was one of the big things you missed." Rusty said. "Plus free comic day at the mall."

"Dang it…"

"It's cool, Lincoln. I scored you a Musclefish comic I didn't think you had." Clyde said, pulling said comic from his backpack.

"Musclefish vs the Burly Barracuda, number 4." The white haired boy read. "Sweet. I was itching to find out how that battle ended."

"Apart from that, we had a bit of an adventure on Halloween." The african american lad added. "Zanya, Girl Jordan, Chandler and I went looking for a monster in the woods."

"Really? Sorry I missed that." Stella commented. "But I had to babysit on Halloween."

"Did you find anything?"

"Yeah. We found the Hazeltuckey goons, Hank and Hawk." Girl Jordan said as she joined them, giving Lincoln a hearty pat on the back. "Hey there, Loud. Long time, no see."

"Hey Girl Jordan." Lincoln responded with a smile.

"Well, that wasn't all we found, but we'll get to that in a moment. You'll want to hear this part of the story." Clyde said. "Zanya creamed those guys good."

"Yeah." Jordan confirmed. "It was awesome. She decked the first guy and sent him flying with one punch. POW! Right into an oak!"

"And then when Hank tried to attack her, she grabbed him and started squeezing his fist, bringing him to his knees." Clyde continued, trying to mime the act for his friend. "Just like in the kung fu movies."

"Man, I'm really sorry I couldn't have seen that." Lincoln said with a chuckle.

"Same with us. Howdy Linc!" Liam said as he and Zach finally arrived at Gus'.

"Hi guys. Good game?"

"Eh. Kinda lackluster, actually. No leadership." Zach criticized with a shrug. "Not the same without the Man with the Plan."

"Sorry guys, but there's no internet at Grimwood's yet."

"No worries, buddy." Liam replied as they joined the rest of the crew.

"Anyway, after Zanya took those two down herself, Hawk disappeared into the trees." Girl Jordan said, continuing the story. "Then something grabbed Clyde. I tried to save him, but ended up going along for the ride."

"Yikes. What was it that grabbed you?" Lincoln asked.

"Someone who was half girl, half spider." Clyde explained.

"Is she cute?" A hopeful Rusty asked.

"Kinda."

"She would have been more endearing to us if she hadn't strung us from the trees and tickled us silly…" Girl Jordan said, sounding mighty salty.

"Sounds like a gal Phantasma would get along well with." Lincoln joked.

"Speaking of, Zanya said she and her mother were headed for Grimwood." Clyde told him.

"Really? Hmmm. If she enrolls, I'll need to make sure to warn Leni." The white haired lad noted to himself. "I can't be certain if her fears of spiders would be eased by her being half human." When he talked about fears, something came back to his mind. His concerns from earlier about the strange man. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and sent a rapid text to his sisters, describing the man he saw and asking if they saw him before.

"What was that about, Lincoln?" Zach asked, curiously.

"Probably nothing." He admitted, but continued. "But I saw a strange guy on my block on the way here. Never seen him around before." He went on to describe the man to his friends. They looked at one another for a moment before they spoke.

"Can't say I've seen someone of that description." Clyde said. "On or around your neighborhood."

"Me neither." Stella commented.

"The hair sounds vaguely familiar, but not the suit."Liam said, looking toward the ceiling as he thought. "Saw someone like that getting out of a cab up toward the wealthy parta town."

"Maybe he's a realtor?" Rusty suggested. "And he was stopping by to check out a house for sale."

"Maybe…." Lincoln said. It did make sense to him. Maybe he was worrying over nothing. He suddenly received eight texts from his sisters. The general response was no, with Lisa pretty much repeating what Rusty had said. That made him feel a little better...until Lucy texted him.

Lucy: I've seen him around.

Lincoln: You have? Where?

Lucy: At school. He had tried to sell security cameras to Principal Huggins for the halls.

'Security cameras?' Lincoln wondered in his mind. 'Clearly not a realtor...but possibly a salesman. Still, something about this just smells fishy…'

Lucy: He turned him down. He didn't seem happy, but he left anyway.

Lincoln: If you see that guy around again, let Mom or Dad know.

Lucy: Got it.

"You ok, buddy?" Clyde asked in concern.

"Yeah." Lincoln replied, putting his phone away. "Just answering a few texts."

"Well, if you're sure, then how about we get in some games?" Zach suggested, pointing toward the arcade machines. No one present needed asking twice. They hastily finished their snack and went off to play some of their favorite games: Zach and Clyde played an alien rail shooter, Girl Jordan challenged Rusty to a couple rounds of skee ball, Lincoln went one on one against Stella in Dance Battle, and Liam tried his hand at a racing game. Despite not being able to see where he was steering, he still beat all the other kids. The six friends spent a few hours playing and gathering tickets, until Rusty ran out of money and the others started to get bored. After they cashed in their tickets and claimed their prize coupons (they didn't see anything they wanted at the prize counter), the guys bid farewell to Jordan and Stella before they headed off toward the comic book store in the mall.

They perused the shelves for a little while, Rusty bemoaning his lack of funds most of the time. Lincoln was looking through a bargain box of Ace Savvy comics, though he wasn't really looking at it. Not only did he have all the comics in the box, but he couldn't get his mind off of what Lucy had told guy was trying to sell security cameras to the school? 'Thank goodness Principal Huggins had the sense to refuse him…' Lincoln thought.'He can't be living in the neighborhood if my sisters, Lisa especially, never saw him before...so what is he up to?' He sighed a bit before he looks around at his friends.

"What do you think of this, Lincoln?" Clyde asked as he held up a comic. "Ace Savvy in Stacking the Deck?" When his friend didn't respond, the bespectacled nerdlet frowned lightly at his friend. "Ok, seriously...what's bothering you, Lincoln?" The white haired lad snapped out of his train of thought. Instead of answering verbally, he showed his friend the text he got from Lucy. "Huh? He tried to sell cameras to our school? Ok...that does sound kinda shady…"

"Yeah...and it's got me scratching my head." Lincoln admitted quietly. "What was he doing at our school? And on our street? And if he was a salesman, then why didn't he have a sample of his wares on hand? And why a suit that fancy?" He shook his head a bit. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid…"

"Possibly...but the circumstances are kinda strange though...tell you what. I'll talk to the guys and we'll keep an eye out for this guy. If we see him, we'll let someone know." Clyde replied in a low whisper.

"Thanks, Clyde." Lincoln whispered.

"Anytime, buddy." The two smiled to one another and bumped fists before they returned to exploring their favorite comic book store.

* * *

Sometime later...

Ronnie Anne was standing on the roof of the apartment complex where the Casagrande's lived, looking out over the city skyline. The sun was starting to set. To her, that was a sign that Lincoln should be there any minute. She glanced back at the orb that she set on a pillow on the floor. It was a struggle to get it up here; not that it was heavy, mind. It was because of her mother. Ronnie Anne had gotten grounded about a week ago for stowing away on Vanzilla without telling anyone. She nearly got grounded even further when she argued with Maria, but her mother eventually relented. After all, she knew how her daughter felt about Lincoln. The streetsmart girl had picked the roof for their meeting for a number of reasons, primary among them the privacy. If her family got an inkling that Lincoln was around, they would never get any peace before the loud boy had to return to school. 'You know what to do when he gets here, Ronnie Anne…' She thought to herself as she leaned against wall at the edge of the building. 'When Lincoln arrives, you tell him EXACTLY how you feel. You lost a lot of time being grounded….you can't afford blow it now.' She slammed her fist against the top of the concrete wall...then winced as she waved her had to alleviate the pain. "Ouch...bad idea…"

While she was dealing with her sore hand, the crystal ball behind her was filling up with a green smoke. She couldn't see this, but she did see the sudden explosion of light that occured behind her. She turned around in surprise, finding Lincoln standing right by the orb in his new warlock robe, rubbing his arms. "Yeesh...Even long sleeves don't help with the goosebumps…" Before he could register his surroundings, he found himself getting hugged tightly by Ronnie Anne, nearly falling over from the force of her embrace. "Whoa! Hehe...I'm happy to see you too, Ronnie Anne." He said, putting his arms around her in return.

"Hey Lincoln…" She finally took a good look at him, noticing his outfit. "What's this? New dress code at school?"

"Leni made it for me, actually. What do you think?" Ronnie Anne chuckles lightly.

"It's you." She replied. "Bold, magical….handsome." Her cheeks turned a bit red as she said that, as did Lincoln's.

"Hehehehe. Thanks. It's pretty warm too. Perfect for the autumn chill." He said. "So, how have you been, Ronnie?"

"Hanging in there, in spite of being grounded." RA told him. "...thanks a lot to Leni for that, by the way…" She added sourly.

"Sorry about that...how did you get your mother to agree to having a guest over if you're grounded?"

"It wasn't easy." The latina said with a sigh. "Almost got grounded even longer…"

"Oh….sorry, Ronnie Anne." Lincoln's face fell as he heard he may have gotten her in more trouble.

"Oh no...don't apologize, Lincoln." She said quickly, taking hold of one of his hands. "I fought so hard to see you because you're important to me. Mom could see that, and eventually gave me her ok." The middle son's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red. RA's smile widened as she led him over to the wall she was leaning against earlier. Lincoln was about to ask what she had in mind, but one look at the horizon said everything. The sun setting behind the city, especially from the roof, was a breathtaking sight to behold.

"Wow…..it's absolutely gorgeous." An awestruck Lincoln said.

"Isn't it?" Ronnie Anne asked, putting an arm around him as she looked out as the skyline with her dear friend, resting her head on his shoulder. The two stare out at the setting sun, getting lost in it's beauty and simply enjoying each other's company. Lincoln sighed happily, then remembered something important: something he needed to speak to Ronnie Anne about.

"Ronnie Anne, I have something I need to talk to you about…"

"Lincoln, I have something I need to say…" She said at the same time.

"You do?" They say at the same time. "Then after you…..no, I insist...after…" They look at each other and start chuckling.

"Ok. We're getting nowhere fast." Lincoln commented. "Go ahead, Ronnie Anne. You can go first."

* * *

Back at Grimwood, Sibella was in her room reading through a book on her bed, though she wasn't really reading it. In fact, she couldn't really focus on anything at the moment. She was still somewhat upset that her chance to tell Lincoln how she felt was spoiled, and starting to feel somewhat anxious about telling him later. Not that she was necessarily worried that he didn't feel the same. She was worried that Ronnie Anne would beat her to it. She sighed as she closed the book and simply let it fall to the floor. She still remained convinced that there was no way that Lincoln could feel the same way about a former abuser that he feels about her...but there was a nagging doubt in the back of her mind. What if she was wrong? What if he did feel the same way? Could she really take that chance? These questions tore her apart from the inside out, along with why she didn't just spit it out earlier when she had the chance?

She turned her attention to the crystal ball by her bedside. She knew Lincoln was probably at Ronnie Anne's by now; he had said he was planning to visit her today, making Sibella feel even more foolish about her hesitation. She could easily take a look into her crystal ball and see what was going on. The vampiress reached for the orb, then paused. She knew that she could, but she started to question if she should? No doubt Lincoln would be upset if he knew she was spying on him when he was spending time with a friend of his. Would she be okay with that on her conscience? Would she be okay with possibly losing Lincoln to that girl? The thought of Ronnie Anne kissing Lincoln was enough to get her to grab the glass spheroid and begin the spell of clairvoyance. After a few seconds of muttering and focusing, she managed to get an image of the two on the rooftop.

"Ronnie Anne, I have something I need to talk to you about…"

"Lincoln, I have something I need to say…" She said at the same time.

"You do?" They say at the same time. "Then after you…..no, I insist...after…" They look at each other and start chuckling. Sibella frowned, not liking where this was going. She needed to do something, and she knew just what to do.

* * *

"Ok. We're getting nowhere fast." Lincoln commented. "Go ahead, Ronnie Anne. You can go first."

"Hehe. Alright. Lincoln, we've known each other for a long time…" Ronnie Anne started, turning to look him in the eyes. "And for the longest time, we were always the best of friends, am I right?" The one son nodded in agreement. "But..uh...I've been…..uh…...do you…..er…" She started to stutter, uncharacteristic for the usually confident girl "...do you think….we could have been….you know….more than friends?" She asked, her cheeks turning scarlet. Lincoln could feel himself sweat. Was she saying what he thought she was? In which case, perhaps he should take the opportunity to speak his peace. But when he opened his mouth, she spoke first. "W...what I meant to say is...like I said earlier...you're very important to me. Very special to me…" She took a deep breath, deciding it was time to stop beating around the bush. "Lincoln Loud, I….huh?" The glass orb that Lincoln had arrived in was starting to glow and fill with green mist again, getting their attention.

"What the?" The white haired boy blinked as he approached the orb.

"Is...that normal?" The city girl asked as her friend looked the item over carefully.

"No idea….maybe someone is travelling here, or so-" Lincoln started to say before he suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

"...Lincoln? Lincoln!?" Ronnie Anne asked, quickly becoming panicked. She bolted through the doorway into the building, sped down the stairs and barged into her family's apartment.

"Ronnie Anne? What's the matter, Nie Nie?" Maria asked with concern, noticing the look on her face.

"Mom! I need my phone back! Urgently!" She replied quickly.

"Nie Nie…"

"I know I'm grounded, but Lincoln just disappeared right before my eyes!" She screamed, getting the attention of everyone there. "And not of his own volition! I just want to make sure he's ok, please!" Ronnie Anne was breathing heavily, both from running the whole way there and from her explanation at the top of her voice. Becoming just as concerned for Lincoln's well being as she was, her mother hastily ran to her room to get Ronnie Anne's phone.

* * *

In the blink of an eye, Lincoln found himself back in his room at Grimwood's school, utterly perplexed about what just happened. The teleportation orbs shouldn't have done that, should they? As he was pondering what could have happened, his phone started to ring. He pulled it out and saw it was Ronnie Anne requesting a video call. He quickly accepted the call. "Lincoln! Are you alright!? What happened!?"

"I'm fine, Ronnie Anne. I...somehow ended up back in Grimwood's." Lincoln told her. Hearing that made his city dwelling friend suspicious.

'That blood sucking….she's responsible for this, I know it…' She thought, her temper rising rapidly. And then, to further her suspicions…

"Oh. Lincoln. You're back." Sibella said from the door to Lincoln's room. "Could I have a word with you?"

"Actually, Sibella, I'm on the phone-" He started to say.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln, but this is important. It can't wait." Sibella interrupted him.

"Now hold on! I'm talking to him!" Ronnie Anne yelled, but Sibella paid her no mind. With no options left, the tough latina decided it was time to throw caution to the wind and just say it.

"Lincoln! I love you!" They both said at the exact same time. Time seemed to freeze inside the young man's room. Lincoln started to sweat as the two girls suddenly looked at one another, their expressions turning to ones of pure anger and aggression. He slowly looked between the two of them, gulping as a single thought crossed his mind.

'This...will not end well.'


	20. Chapter 20: What The Heart Wants

What the heart wants

Being part of a big family, Lincoln was no stranger to shouting matches. They were pretty much a fact of life with some strong personalities clashing under one roof. However, those felt like nothing compared to the one he was between now. Within seconds of their combined confessions of love to the middle Loud, Sibella and Ronnie Anne engaged in the mother of all screaming matches. He was terrified. He was used to Ronnie Anne yelling and raising her voice, but that didn't make her any less scary. As for Sibella, he never heard her so much as raise her voice. This was the first time he ever saw her angry enough to shout, and it shook him to his core. And he wasn't the only one. On Ronnie Anne's side, her mother was equally shaken, and the Casagrande's were coming to investigate the commotion. "I've known Lincoln a hell of a lot longer than you have, fang face!"

"I may have only know him for a few months, but in that time, I've shown him more love and respect than you have!" Sibella retorted angrily.

"And how do you know this!?" Ronnie Anne screamed back. "What makes you the ultimate authority on who should date Lincoln!?"

"Lincoln deserves to be with someone who makes him happy, and that's me!"

"Girls, you both-" Lincoln started to say.

"I make him plenty happy! And he won't have to worry about me putting the bite on him...literally!"

"How dare you!?" Sibella shouted, her hair starting to billow, her anger causing her magic to pulse from her. "I would never bite Lincoln...unless he wanted me to!"

"Girls…"

"Besides, you're one to talk, hitting him as often as you have!" Sibella continued, not having heard Lincoln.

"I haven't hit him that hard!" RA protested. 'Lately…' She thought.

"Girls!" Lincoln raised his voice, but he was still drowned out by their arguing.

"It's still no way to show the man you 'love' that you care!" Sibella was nearly in Ronnie's 'face' as she continued to yell at her.

"I love him a lot more than you do, and he loves me more than you!" The latina wished she could reach through her own phone to throttle the vampiress on the screen in front of her.

"No! He loves me more!"

"NO! ME!"

"NO! M-"

"ENOUGH!" Lincoln bellowed, finally managing to get their attention...and the attention of everyone in the school. While his boisterous gambit did get them to stop arguing, it also drew the attention of two VERY angry girls onto him. The white haired Loud gulped as he started to stammer. "L...ladies...ca...can't you see that this arguing isn't accomplishing anything?"

"You know Lincoln, you're right." Sibella said calmly. Lincoln felt a surge of relief hearing her say that. "After all, it is your decision who you love more."

'...the universe just waits for me to calm down…' Lincoln thought as his blood turned to ice.

"Yeah. It's Lincoln's call." Ronnie Anne agreed.

"Of all the things they could agree on…" Lincoln said under his breath. "Now wait just a minute...I-"

"Of course, Lincoln. If you need some time to consider things, then we'll leave you be for a little while." Ronnie said in an overly sweet voice.

"Just let us know when you're ready." Sibella told him as she walked toward the door with his phone still in hand.

"But...that's not what I...hey, you still have…!" He called out, but the vampiress had already departed. "...my phone." He finished, somewhat lamely.

* * *

Moments earlier in the hall, Phantasma was floating down the hall alongside Shaggy, carrying an instant camera with her. "So, Suki's into photography now?" The scruffy man asked.

"Yep. And I figured she would like to use this old instant camera, so she doesn't have to wait a long time for film to develop." The ghostly gal explained.

"Like, why doesn't she just use her cell phone?"

"It's not the same as holding a real camera." Phantasma said. "I suggested a digital one myself, but she doesn't quite have the allowance for it."

"Well, gotta use what you got, I guess." Shaggy commented with a shrug.

"ENOUGH!" The two of them jumped as they heard the loud yelling from Lincoln's room.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy gasped.

"Was that Lincoln?" Phanty asked in surprise. They look toward his door as Sibella emerged with his phone, starting to yell into it again as soon as she was out in the hall again. The two were completely lost as to what was happening, but then, Lincoln ran over to the doorway, gazing out where Sibella was walking away. The poor boy had an expression that could only be described as hopeless and blue. The spirit and the ex gym teacher just stood there for a moment, before Phantasma took a picture of Lincoln.

"Oh boy...Lincoln looks like he's in quite a soup…" Shaggy commented quietly as the boy shuffled back into his room.

"...Shaggy, do you think you could talk to Lincoln?" Phantasma asked, pocketing the photo she just took. "I'm going after Sibella to get to the bottom of this."

"Like, sure thing, Phantasma. But be careful...she looks mighty angry…" The spectral girl nodded as she flew off, a look of determination on her face. Meanwhile, Shaggy was more worried as he stepped in front of the doorway. Lincoln was sitting on his bed, his face in his hands, looking like a guy about to face the firing squad. The scruffy man knocked on the open door before he entered. "Hey Linc...nice getup. Going to Hogwarts?" Shaggy joked, trying to lighten the mood. That worked about as well as anyone would have expected: ie not at all. Seeing his attempt at humor fell flat as a pancake, he sighed before he sat beside the white haired lad. "What's the matter, Linc? What's eating you?"

"Love…" Lincoln replied, simply and flatly. This made the skittish mystery solver even more nervous. These were clearly dangerous waters, but Lincoln looked like his ship was sinking fast, so he needed to throw the boy a life preserver.

"You….uh….wanna talk about it, pal?" He asked cautiously.

"...if I could talk to my sisters, I would...but Sibella has my phone…"

"Why does she have your phone?" Lincoln slowly looked up at Shaggy, then sighed.

"...because she and Ronnie Anne are fighting again...and I'm at the center of it all." Lincoln sniffled a bit as Shaggy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you start at the beginning, Linc? If nothing else, it should help to get it off your chest." He said calmly.

"...I've known Ronnie Anne for a long time." Lincoln started, looking down at his shoes rather than the grown up beside him. "We didn't really start off on the right foot, but we did eventually become the best of friends...and for the longest time, we always told others, and ourselves, that's all we were…"

"...but that wasn't the case?" Shaggy inquired.

"...no. Deep down, I had feelings for her, and I still do, and the same goes with her toward me. But during my time here at Grimwood, I've really gotten to know Sibella...I've grown very close to her...developed feelings for her as well...I love her, Mr Rogers...but I love Ronnie Anne too. I don't want to hurt either of them, yet I can't choose both of them." Tears were starting to fill his eyes, his voice cracking a little by the end.

"Zoinks...that's a seriously heavy load…Have you talked to the girls about this?"

"I tried...but each time, something went very wrong. I tried to talk about this with Ronnie Anne back at her place, but some kind of magical malfunction brought me back here…" Lincoln explained. "And before I could say much here, both Sibella and Ronnie Anne confessed their love for me and things went downhill from there…" He held his hand out toward his pillow, which caused it to fly right to him. He buried his face into the cushion, fighting tooth and nail to avoid crying. "I just feel so helpless right now...I'm supposed to be the Man with the Plan, but there's no amount of planning that can help this...and I can't even talk to Lori or Leni or any of my sisters about this…" Shaggy felt a sharp stab of sympathy for the dismal young man beside him. All this happening to him, and he was just a kid.

"Man...it's not right that you have to be in this kind of position…" Shaggy said. "But you know, even if you can't talk to your family, you're still not alone here." This comment made Lincoln slowly peek one eye out from the cushion. "You have friends here, Lincoln, and you know it. Tanis, Elsa, Winnie...And you know you can always talk to Miss Grimwood, or me and Scoob. We'd all be willing to help you out with your problems in a heartbeat."

"...I know, Shaggy...but it wouldn't feel right to drag the others into this…" Lincoln said sullenly.

"Like, nonsense, Lincoln. We've all got our back. I can't promise we can solve the problem, but we can try."

"...thanks Shaggy…." Lincoln replied as he dropped the pillow into his lap.

"Now then...back to the main problem...two girls, one guy…" Shaggy rested his chin on his fist, looking a lot like the thinker.

"Yeah...they both love me, and I love both of them…" Lincoln repeated.

"I know it's kind of basic, but have you tried listing the pros and cons of the two girls?"

"Yeah...it didn't help." Lincoln admitted. "Any cons I could think of were things that weren't really their fault or things they're trying to improve on…" His mind instantly replayed his meeting with Count Dracula and Ronnie Anne's many pranks as he brought these up.

"Yeah. I don't think that strategy has ever worked." Shaggy said with a slight chuckle. "How about shared interests?"

"Ronnie Anne and I both enjoy playing video games, but I also like studying and practicing magic like Sibella." Lincoln explained. "Well, I do like reading too...but more comic books than the kind of books Sibella enjoys. Still, we do enjoy reading together even if we don't read the same things. And even though Ronnie Anne prefers skateboarding, I can still join her for the ride on my bike." The scruffy man frowned lightly as he returned to thinking. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but Lincoln's problem seemed borderline impossible.

* * *

Phantasma soared down the hall after Sibella. With her head start, the vampiress was long gone. However, Phanty knew exactly where her friend would go in the mood she was currently in. She made a beeline for the room she and Sibella shared. When she arrived, Lincoln's two admirers were still shouting at the top of their lungs at each other. That said, their argument had been reduced to both sides repeating "NO, ME!" by that point. One look at the childish scene before her was enough to make her face palm. Given how loud they were yelling, Phanty decided to got right for plan b. She floated over to her side of the room and opened her closet. The arguing pair were utterly oblivious as she started tossing random items from within it. After a few seconds, she emerged wearing a pair of earmuffs and armed with an air horn. She pointed the noise maker at them, made sure her ear protection was in place, then pressed the top of the can. The horn blared loudly, causing Sibella and Ronnie Anne to both wince in pain and cover one of their ears with their free hands.

"Ok, Phantasma….you have our attention…" Ronnie Anne grumbled, rubbing her ear a bit.

"Was that really necessary?" Sibella asked, her tone returning to its usual softness, with a side of irritation.

"Sorry, girls, but I had to get you to stop somehow." Phantasma responded in a borderline emotionless voice; one that confused Sibella greatly. "And now that I have your attention, I'd just like to ask: do you two realize just how childish you're acting!?" She suddenly scolded them, her hands on her hips, a hard look on her face.

"Me? Childish? Ronnie Anne is the childish one!" Sibella protested.

"What!? You're the one who started this, bat for brains!" Ronnie Anne retorted.

"Bully!"

"Hussy!"

"Don't make me have to use this again!" The ghost girl warned as she pointed the air can at them again. That shut them up. "This is exactly what I mean. Now, what on Earth is this even all about? And the first one to start arguing or name calling again…" She keeps her finger over the trigger of the horn.

"Easy there, Phanty...put the horn down...and we'll talk to you." Sibella said, her free hand held between her and the noise maker. The specter slowly lowers her tool of ear drum destruction before crossing her arms, waiting for an explanation. "I was just explaining to Miss Santiago...that Lincoln and I share a greater affection for one another."

"And I think she's full of it…" Ronnie Anne responded derisively, Phantasma's horn arm twitching.

"Seriously?" She asked, her frown becoming more pronounce. "Seriously!? You two are arguing over who Lincoln loves more!?"

"...and who loves him more." RA added, starting to get a little nervous. Phanty sighed as she gripped the bridge of her nose.

"Alright...saying it out loud...it does sound a bit silly…" Sibella said, before she added under her breath. "...especially since I love him more."

"But...you know what they say...love makes people do crazy things…" Ronnie Anne interjected.

"That's no excuse! I love Lincoln and you don't see me going to war with you two because of it!"

"You what!?" Sibella and Ronnie Anne both exclaimed at once.

"What? I said I adored him before and I meant it." Phantasma said with a shrug. "I mean, he's cute, smart, a really good sport, has a great laugh, and he's the sweetest thing since sticky buns."

"Well, I can't argue with that…" Sibella said with a slight blush.

"I...I just thought you were just a really affectionate friend…" RA said, a little shocked.

"Oh, I am. But with Linky, it's different." Phanty reasoned.

"How long...?" The vampiress asked apprehensively.

"For a long while now." The polter-girl replied honestly.

"Then….why haven't you gotten involved in all this until now?" In answer, Phantasma pulled the picture from her pocket and showed it to them.

"This is why. Do you see this? This is how poor Linky looked after you two left to continue this juvenile bickering." She told them, the two girls wincing at her harsh tone of voice. The sad look on Lincoln's face really tore at their heart strings. "Can you two imagine how he's feeling right now? Knowing the two girls he cares so much about are not only fighting, but over him? And that they're forcing him to make a near impossible decision!? Can you!?" Sibella and Ronnie Anne both hung their heads, unable to answer her. "If you can't, I suggest you take a good, looong look at this picture…" She flew forward, nearly shoving it right into Sibella's face.

"You're right, Phantasma…" Ronnie Anne admitted sadly.

"I suppose we got so caught up in our own feelings for him and against each other...we didn't even spare a thought for how he felt…" Sibella added, feeling as terrible as her romantic rival. "...We're sorry…"

"Yeah...we are…"

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Phanty said, putting the picture away. "Not that I don't appreciate it, mind."

"...as if Lincoln would forgive us for this…" Sibella said solemnly.

"He will...he's a very forgiving guy…" Ronnie Anne reassured her. "I speak from experience...but I have no idea how we're going to make up for making him feel this bad…"

"Me neither…"

"Actually…I may have an idea, if you two are open to it." Phantasma said, her trademark smile returning. "And it may work out for everyone...but you two have to bury the hatchet if we're going to make this work. No more fighting over Linky. No attempting to sabotage one another. No more nasty name calling. Can you both do that?" The latina and the vampiress looked at one another for a moment, considering what their ethereal friend had said.

"We'll do it." They said in unison.

"Wonderful!" Phanty chirped. "Now huddle up and I'll tell you what I have in mind." She leans closer to Sibella, who held Lincoln's phone closer to the two of them.

* * *

"Like, sorry, Lincoln…" Shaggy apologized, as he crossed something off of a comically long list, sighing as he tossed it aside. "I'm all out of ideas…."

"I appreciate the fact that you tried, Shaggy." Lincoln told him. He did have to admit, even though very little was accomplished with regard to his problem, he did feel a little better. "I guess there's only one way to handle this problem….head on." The white haired boy hopped off his head and headed for the doorway.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive." The young man answered, turning back to Shaggy. "It may very well be now or never." He was about to step out of the room, but he was stopped when he walked into something solid. He turned again and found Sibella and Phantasma standing in his doorway, Phanty holding Lincoln's phone. The vampiress and city girl both looked at Lincoln very apologetically.

"Lincoln…can we talk to you a moment?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"...I was about to ask the same of you." Lincoln replied.

"I...think I hear Scooby calling me." Shaggy lied as he stood up and strolled hastily to the door. In reality, he wanted to give them some privacy so they could resolve the matter. Once he was gone, Lincoln stepped aside to let them inside his room.

"Go ahead, Lincoln." Sibella said, now that they were alone, though she had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"...girls, I'm not going to beat around the bush." Lincoln said. "I love you both. I really do." He started as he began pacing around in front of them. "So it really pains me to see the two of you fighting...especially over me. It hurts me deep…""

"We're very sorry about that, Lincoln…" Ronnie Anne interjected. "We didn't mean to cause you so much grief.."

"We realize that, in our efforts to prove our feelings for you to each other, we overlooked your feelings...and we apologize deeply and hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us…" Sibella said, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"...of course I forgive you two." The white haired boy replied, bringing a smile to their faces. "...I just hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to say."

"What…?" Sibella asked, her bright smile fading.

"Lincoln...what are you saying…?" Ronnie inquired, a feeling of panic building within her.

"...I know I have to, but I can't choose one over the other. I'm sorry, but it's just impossible for me…I love you both very much and don't want to hurt either of you...but I know it's also not fair for either of you for me to-" Lincoln's little speech was interrupted by a single finger against his lips, courtesy of Phanty.

"Actually, Lincoln...that is the very thing we wanted to speak to you about." The vampiress said, smiling once more.

"We all talked about it, Linky, and we all agreed that you don't have to choose." Phantasma informed him.

"I….don't?" This bit of news left the one son utterly puzzled.

"She's right. I mean, is there any reason we can't all be in a relationship, as long as we all know about it and are cool with it?" The city girl asked.

"I….suppose there isn't." The white haired lad said, thinking about it a little. He hadn't really considered that possibility before, mostly because he hadn't heard of such a scenario before.

"Well, after talking it over with Ronnie Anne, we've decided we're both ok with you dating all three of us." Sibella explained to him.

"Really…?" Lincoln asked, a wave of relief coming over him, a small smile spreading across his face. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Sibella confirmed, gently caressing his cheek. "We all love you, Lincoln. Too much to keep hurting you with further petty squabbling." She pulled the human boy into a hug, which Phanty instantly joined. Ronnie Anne, unable to join, felt kind of down. Her saddened expression didn't go unnoticed by the middle Loud.

"Would you girls excuse me for a moment?" Lincoln said before they separated from their embrace. He rushed over to his teleporting orb and, upon placing his hand on it, vanished in a flash. Sibella and Phanty looked at his phone screen, where a surprised Ronnie Anne was looking toward the door where her family was all congregated. They all heard soft, quick footsteps coming down from the roof, then louder footsteps headed right their way. "Excuse me!" Lincoln said hurriedly. The Casagrande's all stepped aside to let him pass, giving him a clear path to give Ronnie Anne a big hug.

"Awwwwwwww!" Ronnie's family all cooed at the sweet sight before them. The tough city girl would have probably said something, but she was too lost in hugging and being hugged by Lincoln.

"There we go." Lincoln said as he looked at her smiling face.

"Thanks Lincoln." She replied, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. One which Lincoln returned without hesitation. They held the kiss for a few seconds before the white haired boy handed her the orb.

"See you again soon, Ronnie Anne." He told her with a big smile. "Hopefully when you're not grounded."

"See you around, Lincoln." The two shared one last hug before Lincoln vanished once more, leaving the orb in her hands, much to the shock and surprise of her family.

Back in Lincoln's room, the ghost gal and vampiress were waiting patiently for the Loud warlock's return, smiling as he reappeared in a flash. "You truly are one of the good ones, Lincoln." Sibella told him, pulling him into a hug and kissing him on the cheek.

"Hehe. Thanks….wait a minute…" Lincoln suddenly realized something that gave him pause for thought. "Sibella...did you say 'all three of us'?" The lavender skinned ghoul girl nodded with a smile. "But..who….?" The young man slowly looked to Phantasma, who cheeks had turned a deep crimson. "Phanty?"

"Hehehe. Yep. It's me." She answered him with a coy giggle. "I love you too, Linky."

"She's loved you for a long time, Lincoln. Probably as long as I had...maybe longer." Sibella told him.

"You have?" Lincoln asked, hardly able to believe it. However, the more he thought it over, the more sense it made. Except for one thing: if she loved him so much, why had she never said anything?

"I have, Linky. But I knew that you and Sibella were close and growing closer...so I kept it to myself. I didn't want to cause either of you any trouble." Phantasma admitted, her cheeks glowing by now. "But...I also didn't want to give up entirely on you...so I started to think of a way we could all be together without causing fights."

"And in the end, she did." Sibella added. "With some understanding, and a little out of the box thinking." Lincoln's mouth hung open as he listened to Phantasma speak. When she and her long fanged friend had finished, he slowly approached her. In almost an instant, he threw his arms around her, and pulled her in for a big kiss; right on the lips. The spirited girl's eyes widened and her whole face turned red, but she had a big smile on her face before she smooched and embraced him in return. Sibella couldn't help but giggle at the sight, although she still felt a little jealous. This would take some getting used to, and she knew it, but as long as they were all honest with each other and shared Lincoln's time nicely, everything would be alright.

"Phanty…." Lincoln said softly after their lips parted. "...you are incredible." The giggly ghost didn't respond, wearing an adorably dazed look on her face as she hung in his arms.

* * *

 _AN: I do wish I could have done more with the Casagrandes, but it took me long enough to do what I managed here. Perhaps next time. And apologies that this is so short and a second Grimwood chapter, but I both wanted to resolve this part of the story and needed to do something smaller after the last massive chapter. Hope you all enjoy it._


	21. Chapter 21: The Hunter Strikes

_AN: A short chapter, but an important one for the main plot. But first, before I get into the stories, a few questions and comments I'd like to address from the review section._

 _First (spoiler warning), there will be no Revolta. At least, not in the main story. I didn't want the story to be an exact copy of the original source material of Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School. Once the main story is over, we shall see._

 _Second: I don't plan to include the characters from OK KO into the story,. I'm not familiar with the show or the characters, so I'd rather not try and protray them until I can familiarize myself with them._

 _Third: in response to gamelover's question, I decided pretty early on that Phanty would have feelings for Lincoln, being especially affectionate toward him. However, with Sibella taking the initiative with romance with Lincoln, Phanty wouldn't want to step on her toes, so she stepped back (though didn't change how she acted toward Lincoln. I just imagined her being the really affectionate sort)._

 _Fourth: Neon Starch: if you're refering to Traguna Maqoutis Tracorum Sagusti (I think that's how it's spell), or the Substitutiary Locomotion spell, that would be awesome, but I already have a pretty firm idea for how the final encounter will go. Sorry._

 _And finally, Razor: Yeah, I actually like Scrappy in his appearances after the initial Scooby and Scrappy Doo show appearance. He was calmer, more clever, and put his courage to better use. And as for a Loud House/Reluctant Werewolf crossover...I'm actually considering it. I'll put some thought into it and see if I can do a full blown story from it, but I do have a few ideas. No promises at the moment, though._

* * *

The Hunter Strikes

It was a bright, sunny and cool fall Saturday morning. To most children, that would mean cartoons. To Zanya, however, it meant a soccer game. Her first game playing for the Royal Woods Elementary team. Needless to say, she was so excited that she thought she may burst. She could hardly sit still in the locker room as Lisa worked on reinforcing her head, arm and leg stitches, so her limbs would remain intact. After all, while the people of Royal Woods were savvy to her undead identity, no sense panicking the visiting team. Also in the locker room was Lynn Jr, giving the team a motivational pep talk in place of the coach. Almost the entire Loud clan showed up for this gave, except for Lily (who wasn't feeling very good) and Rita, who stayed behind to care for the infant. They weren't the only ones to show up either; Trent and Cynthia, and all of Zanya's friends had arrived to watch her play. Lori was just passing around bags of popcorn and cups of soda when the two teams strode onto the field and started to warm up. Trent smiled with pride as he saw his daughter wearing the Royal Woods colors, stretching to prepare for the game. "Ah. Good. I hadn't missed it." Said a voice from beside the detective. He looked to his right to see a tall man with dirty blond hair mostly covered with a skull cap sitting beside him. He was wearing a red and white windbreaker, torn blue jeans and old, black sneakers.

"Nope. The game's just about to start." Trent told him.

"Fantastic." The man replied in a kind of dull tone. "So, which one is yours?"

"The cute one with the pale skin." Mr Talon responded, pointing toward Zanya. The stranger glanced in her direction for a moment before nodding. "How about you? Where's your kid?"

"Single." The man answered, never once looking at Zanya's father. "I just never miss a Royal Woods game."

"Nothing wrong with supporting the home team." Trent said.

"Indeed." Was all the man said in return. The seasoned detective couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this guy just felt off to him. Maybe it was his disinterested tone. Maybe it's because he wouldn't look at him. He didn't know for certain. However, he didn't really have time to dwell on it, for the game looked like it was about to begin. Zanya took her place on defense, waving to her parents, the Louds and her friends.

"Stonewall 'em, Zan!" Lynn Jr called to her.

"Go Royal Woods!" Lana and Lola cheered together.

"Don't let them score a touchdown!" Leni exclaimed.

"That's football, Leni…" Lisa replied flatly.

"But I thought I heard Luna say we were going to watch a game of football…"

"Nah, luv. Football what they call soccer in Britain." Luna explained to her slower sister. "Didn't mean ta cause ya confusion."

"Ooooooh. Nevermind then." Leni chirped with a smile. The whistle was blown as the soccer ball was rolled onto the field and the game began. Just then, Trent's phone vibrated.

"Oh, for the love of….this better be good…" He grumbled as he shifted his way across the bleachers and away from the field to answer it. "Hello…..what? Are you serious!? Right at the start of my daughter's game!? …..that important? It better be...alright, I'll be right there." He sighed angrily as he sent Cynthia a text message "Called to the precinct...told they have an important case for me. Apologize to our little pumpkin for me. Thanks." With the message sent, the cranky sleuth put his phone away and hurried to his car, hoping he could get this over and done with quickly.

Meanwhile, back on the soccer field, the game was getting pretty intense right from the start. The visiting team was fierce and aggressive, putting a lot of pressure on Royal Woods' defense. Not only that, but they weren't above a little dirty play either: pushing and shoving, a few elbows to the gut, one girl even tried to trip Zanya when she stole the ball from her. "...is the ref blind or what!?" Lynn Jr complained from the stands as a Royal Woods player was rammed to the grass.

"If that's not dirty fighting, then my name is mud." Luan joked, though not even she was in a mood to laugh.

"Indeed. This style of play is more suited toward rugby, not soccer." Lisa commented, getting surprised looks from her sisters. "I may not particularly care for sports, but there is no harm in studying them." Lisa explained with a soft shrug.

"They really shouldn't play like such meanies…" Leni complained with a frown.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Leni." An upset Cynthia said as she watched one of her daughter's teammates get muscled out of the way by a girl nearly twice her size. Meanwhile, back with the stranger Trent was speaking to earlier, he wasn't really watching the game all that much. The only one he was watching was the zombie girl struggling against the uber aggressive opposing team. He pulled out his phone and glanced toward it, reading over a few messages from the conversation currently open.

Malora: The game is at 10 AM, on the Royal Woods field.

Sigmund: Excellent. You know what to do?

Malora: Yes. I need to make sure Zanya is taken out of the game.

Sigmund: Very good. I will take it from there. Humanity thanks you, Malora.

He smirked a bit as he pocketed his phone. However, before he had, the ever curious/nosy Lola had noticed him with his phone out and leaned in for a peek. She couldn't really see the messages, but she did manage to make out two names: Malora and Sigmund.

"Psst...Lana…" Lola whispered to her twin beside her.

"Shhh. I'm trying to watch the game, sis." Her toyboy twin responded quietly.

"This is important..." Lola hissed impatiently. "That guy down there is talking to Malora…" That got Lana's attention as she looked to her prissy sister.

"He has?" She looked down toward the stranger Lola had pointed to, then back at her. "Well, he has the right to talk to whoever he pleases, Lola…"

"I know that...but doesn't that seem a little fishy to you?"

"Never said it didn't." Lana replied. "It's probably nothing...but we should keep an eye on him anyway." Lola nodded, glad her twin sister was at least of the same mind in that respect.

Under the bleachers, dressed in her community service orange jumpsuit, Malora was watching things unfold on the field. It pleased her to see the one she believed caused her so much trouble getting knocked around. However, what she had planned for the ghoul girl nearly made her giddy with anticipation. It would be well worth the trouble she would no doubt get in for bailing on her community service in her eyes; and she had her favorite uncle to thank for making this possible.

* * *

Flashback: A few weeks ago…

Malora groaned as she fought to unlodge a hunk of something stuck in the mud at the back of the river. As part of her service, she was tasked with helping clear litter and pollutants from the stream. To her, this was utterly undignified. This kind of nonsense was meant for peasants like the others working to clean up the area around her, not a star of her caliber.

"That darn zombie…" She growled as she pushed down on the handle of her shovel to try and force whatever was cemented into the muck. "Some day...she'll….get…..hers!" She yelled as the offending object finally became unstuck and flew across the river to the opposite bank. A single, mud covered boot landed with a splat on the grass. "...who throws away just one boot!?"

"A pirate?" A familiar voice jested from behind her. She turned to snap at the one who dared joke at her expense, but her angry quickly shifted to happiness upon seeing her well dressed, but dangerous uncle, Sigmund, standing there with a grin.

"Uncle Sigmund!" She cheered, running over to give him a hug.

"Hey there, princess." He greeted her, hugging her in return. "...Keep it down a bit. We don't want to draw too much attention to us here, do we? Your mother and my brother won't be too happy if they knew I came to see you."

"I never understood why…"

"Your father and I never saw eye to eye about my duty to destroy monster kind. I mean, our family is linked to the mighty Van Helsing family." He said, before following up under his breath. "..distantly." He then continued at a normal tone as if nothing happened. "That makes it our duty to protect humanity from these inhuman beasts. But he remained stubbornly ignorant to their existence...but I digress. You had said there was a zombie about?"

"Yes. She lives at 1216 Franklin Avenue." Malora told him. "And she goes to my school, Royal Woods Elementary."

"I see.." Sigmund let Malora go and pulled out his phone to look up the address. "Hmmmm. Home of the Loud Family. Two parents….eleven children!? Is that right?" He looked between his phone's screen and his niece in shock before she nodded. "...that could complicate matters. I'll need to do some surveillance before I can make a move. You have my gratitude, Malora." He said as he pocketed his phone and started to leave. "Keep in touch. If you hear anything useful, let me know."

End of Flashback

* * *

Since that day, she kept her uncle informed of what happened inside the school and out; particularly after he was unable to convince Principal Huggins to let him install security cameras in the school. Her latest text had made sure to inform him that she and her family had been visited by the police earlier that week, asking if they had seen Sigmund around. She lied, of course, and told them she hadn't. She couldn't let them spoil her revenge. And speaking of, her time was about to come. She picked up a slingshot she had brought with her and carefully put her hand in a bag her uncle had given her. She cautiously drew a razor sharp caltrop from the sack and loaded it into her sling. She probably wouldn't get more than one shot, so she would have to make it count. The cruel girl waited until Zanya was chasing the ball close to the stands. She drew back the band and let the spiked metal object fly.

On the field, Zanya's focus was purely on getting the ball away from the other team. Their hostile tactics had gotten them an early lead, so she had to try and stop them. Behind her were two of the opposing players, one built like a tank and one small and speedy looking. But she didn't care what was behind her. Her only priority was what was the ball in front of her. Unfortunately, this means she didn't see the caltrop land right in front of her, so she ended up stepping right on it. "AGH!" She nearly screamed in pain as the sharp metal point dug into her foot. She fell forward onto the grass, the two away team girls still barreling down on her. She closed her eyes, expecting to be trampled on any second.

"Whoa! Stop! Time out! She's really hurt!" She heard someone say. The zombie girl opened her eyes and saw the larger of the two girls had stopped the smaller of the two before they would have stepped on her. She was waving the refs and both coaches over.

'Well, at least I can credit one of them for having human decency.' Lisa thought to herself as Cynthia took to the field to check on her daughter.

"Hey, you alright there, Zanya?" Coach Pacowski asked, kneeling by the zombie girl.

"I think I stepped on a nail…" Zanya groaned, fighting back tears as her mother took a closer look.

"That's no nail…" She said with an angry look. "That's a caltrop…"

"A what?" The coach inquired.

"It's like a sharpened jack, used since olden times to discourage pursuers." Cynthia explained. "But the better question is where it came from!?" There was instant chaos the moment she asked that. Naturally, the Royal Woods team accused their opponents of sabotage, while they in turn denied it outright. It turned into a massive verbal rumble between the players, coaches and families alike. The refs and the few cops present felt overwhelmed as they tried to restore order. Meanwhile, Nurse Patti and Cynthia each had picked up the injured Zanya and took her toward the school building. Seeing them leave the field, Sigmund rose from his seat and slunk away during the bedlam. No one saw him leave….except for one little girl.

* * *

Nearly twenty minutes later, Trent stormed into the Royal Woods police station, fit to be tied. He strode right up to the officer at the front desk, slapping his hand against the desk. "Alright. Here I am….what was so important you had to call me all the way here during Zanya's soccer game?" He asked in a voice of barely contained anger.

"I can answer that for you, Detective Talon." Came a stern reply to his left. He turned his glare toward a serious looking red headed woman in a dark gray suit, wearing a pair of horn rimmed glasses and her hair done up in a beehive. "Agent Jumper, CIA." She identified herself, showing her badge to him.

"Alright, ma'am….what's going on here?" He asked. Rather than answer him, she motioned for him to follow her, which did nothing to ease his temper. However, he still followed her through the building and right into the office of the chief of the Royal Woods Police Department. The chief was an older man, clearly close to retirement. He was mostly bald with only a few tufts of gray hair behind his ears. He had a thick beard and mustache, as well as bags under his eyes. He looked up from a file he was reading over as soon as the two entered.

"Ah. Hello again, Agent Jumper...so this is the detective we'll be working beside?"

"Yes, Chief Johnson." Jumper replied. "Detective Talon of the Supernatural Happenings division."

"Charmed...now will someone tell me what's going on!?" Trent snapped, having no patience left.

"Of course, detective. We need your assistance in tracking down a serial killer." Chief Johnson replied.

"A serial killer?" Trent raised an eyebrow at the police chief and CIA agent. "Ok, that is serious, but why call me?"

"Very simple, detective." Agent Jumper responded flatly. "Because this killer is a slayer of monsters. An overzealous monster hunter."

"Monster hunter? Like Van Helsing?"

"Hardly, detective. The Van Helsing family, while fierce monster hunters in their day, only hunted those monsters who were a clear and present threat. Those who have harmed or killed. This hunter hunts and kills monsters simply because they are monsters, and feels he's doing the world a favor by doing so. Good, evil, men, women...it makes no difference to him. If you aren't human, you're a target..."

"And to make matters worse, Agent Jumper here informed me that this nut job had just arrived here in Royal Woods recently." Chief Johnson added. Trent bit his lip a bit as he looked out the window. The thought of a mad monster hunter on the loose was unnerving enough, but with her daughter being a zombie as well, it was a terrifying fact to learn.

"...I'll take the case." He said without hesitation.

"I imagined you would have." Agent Jumper said. "We have a file on the suspect in question, if you wish to review it." She gestured toward the chief's desk. The aging chief of police turned the file around as Trent approached. He looked at the name at the top of the paper: Sigmund Lesrec.

"Lesrec? Any relation to Malora?" Trent asked aloud as he continued to peruse the file.

"Yes. Her uncle, we believe. However, Miss Lesrec and her parents denied having seen him. Mr and Mrs Lesrec don't get along with him, from what they told us." Chief Johnson explained. Trent nodded and he continued to read. From what he could tell, this guy was good. Real good. Known to carry a lot of weapons for any possible monster encounter. Cunning. Patient. Merciless. Cold hearted toward monsters. He turned to the next page, which listed where he struck and the list of his victims.

"This guy's been around…" He commented as his eyes scanned the list. "Europe, Asia, The States, Australia...so he's an international criminal besides…" The CIA agent nodded in confirmation as he turns the page again. His eyes were drawn to a photo at the top of the page, clipped to the paper. He pulled the picture off for a closer look. His hand started to shake the longer her looked at the picture.

"Detective? What's the matter?" Chief Johnson asked in concern.

"I've seen him…" Trent replied, the color leaving his face. "This maniac's at Zanya's soccer game!"

"Let's roll!" Agent Jumper instructed, rushing for the door just barely ahead of Detective Talon.

"Chief, get a team over to Royal Woods Elementary, pronto!" Trent shouted as he left the office, making a mad dash for his car. Every second he was away from the school was a second his little girl could be in grave danger in his mind.

* * *

Back at the school nurse's office, Nurse Patti had Zanya on her examination table, carefully looking over the caltrop. Much to her annoyance, Cynthia was looking over her shoulder. She could certainly understand why she was there: she was the girl's mother. It's a situation very familiar to the nurse. However, she couldn't deny having the mad scientist practically breathing down her neck was irritating to say the least. The school nurse took a deep breath as she removed the pointed metal from Zanya's foot, followed by her shoe and sock to inspect the wound. "What on Earth!?" Patti gasped as she saw the green ooze seeping from the injury.

"Oh come on. You know my daughter is a zombie…" Cynthia criticized, her arms crossed.

"Yes, but I wasn't expecting her to bleed...whatever that is…" The nurse responded angrily.

"It's a chemical compound that keeps my daughter alive. It's really not that different from blood…"

"It's not radioactive...is it?"

"No….not this version of the compound, anyway." Cynthia responded, getting a very concerned look from Patti.

"Er….right….well, fortunately, it doesn't look too serious. The blade didn't sink in too deep." She said, returning her attention to the pierce wound in her patient's foot. "A simple clean and disinfection, wrap it in a bandage and we should be golden." She said as she grabbed a clean, moist cloth and started to clean around the wound, making Zanya giggle a little.

"Please...I could have told you that." Zanya's mother commented.

"Mrs Talon, I understand you want to be here to make sure your daughter is alright, but if you don't stop with this harrassment, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!" Nurse Patti snapped, having finally had enough.

"Number 1: I'd like to see you try." Cynthia responded defiantly. "And number 2: of the two of us, I believe I am far more qualified to work on my daughter."

"Oh? You've been through medical school, then?"

"No. But med school doesn't prepare you for an undead patient, does it!?"

"Mom...please…" Zanya finally spoke up, looking pleadingly at her mother. "Let her do her job...she's doing fine."

"Thank you, Zanya." Nurse Patti said with an appreciative smile. She dabbed at the wound with an disinfectant coated cotton ball. The zombie girl winced as it burned. "There we go. Now we just need…" She walked over to a nearby drawer and blinked as she found it empty. "Oh dear...how did I run out of bandages?" She glared back at Cynthia, as if expecting her to make a snide comment, but the mad scientist held her tongue this time. Lacking bandages, she pulled a box of bandaids out. "This will have to do until I can go get some more."

"Thank you, Nurse Patti." Zanya said as she placed the bandaid on her foot.

"You're welcome, dear. I should only be a few minutes." She said, walking toward the door. To her chagrin, Cynthia followed her out. The moment they were out of the office, they started arguing again about how best to treat Zanya. So loud they were arguing, they never noticed Sigmund lurking between two rows of lockers. He noticed them, however, as they left the office and headed down the hall. He smirked as he waited for them to turn the corner before he made his move. He crept over to the door to the Nurse's Office, then flung the door open. His sudden appearance caught the zombie girl by surprise as she was putting her shoe back on.

"Huh? Who are you?" She asked. He didn't respond, instead drawing his shining silver pistol. She screamed as he pointed it at her and dove behind the examination table just as he pulled the trigger. A loud bang filled the room, as well as the hal, yet the bullet left no marks anywhere. In retaliation, she hurled the table at him. The monster hunter was forced to duck out of the room to avoid getting clobbered, giving Zanya a chance to jump out the window. Exactly what he wanted. He dashed into the room and dove out the window after her. The injured zombie girl was limping as fast as she could across the grass as Sigmund fired a few more shots at her. Once more, none of the shots seemed to be doing anything. He was actually firing blanks, tricking his prey into running away from him...and everyone else. By the time Nurse Patti and Cynthia returned to the office, alerted by the gunshots, they were both long gone.

* * *

By the time Zanya had reached the cover of the nearest woodland, her foot had stopped hurting enough for her to run properly...or perhaps fear and adrenaline were blocking out the pain. She didn't know, nor did she care. All she cared about was escaping the gun toting crazy person currently chasing her down. Meanwhile, Sigmund remained hot on her heels, loading a fresh clip into his gun as he followed at a leisurely pace. 'Who is this guy!?' she wondered in her head as she fled through the trees. 'Why is he shooting at me!? What'd I ever do to him!? What am I going to do!?' All rushed through her mind. Before she could think of a plan, she heard the sound of metal flying through the air behind her. When she looked back, she saw a heavy metal chain attached to large, solid metal spheres flying right at her. She didn't have time to dodge, so the iron chains wrapped around her torso and arms, holding her fast and forcing her to fall over from the weight.

"Hmph. Easier than I expected." Sigmund commented as he strolled over to the fallen zombie. "I was rather hoping an intelligent zombie could have presented some kind of challenge…" He added, drawing his sword.

"Why are you doing this!?" Zanya asked as she squirmed around on the ground.

"Because you're a monster." The hunter replied simply.

"...what?"

"You are a monster. Monsters have no place in human society. And it is the duty of monster hunters such as myself to destroy beasts such as yourself." He responded. "However, I am feeling generous today. You will not die by my hand if you answer me one simple question: Where is Grimwood's Finishing School?" Zanya just stared at Sigmund in incredulous disbelief. He was planning to kill her just because she was a zombie? And he wanted her to tell him where to find Miss Grimwood's school? Her eyes started to glow as she strained against her solid iron chains. "Oh, isn't that just precious? You think you can break-" He started to say, but before he could finish the thought, the chains started to creak and groan. With a roar of anger, Zanya flexed her muscles and shattered her metal bonds, sending broken links flying in all directions. The monster hunter was forced to take cover to avoid getting pelted. Rather than taking the offensive, however, Zanya took the chance to flee. With as heavily armed as he seemed to be, she doubted she could fight him (no matter how tempted she was). Her better option was to get around him and get back to her friends and family.

Unfortunately for her, Sigmund had thought of that possibility, and didn't intend to give her that chance. He charged after her, forced to follow the sound of her fleeing through the underbrush since he couldn't see her. He caught up with her rather quickly, just as she vaulted over a sizable log. He took a few shots at her, purposely missing in order to scare her. She retaliated by hurling the log at him, like an angry player flipping a table. The hunter hastily slashed with his blade, cutting the hunk of wood in half before it could hit him. In his moment of distraction, Zanya made a move to get around him. However, she was stopped in her tracks as a throwing knife planted itself in a tree right in front of her face. The zombie girl was forced to turn back, but Sigmund was already en route to intercept her. He slashed at her with his long sword, which she managed to duck. In return, she rammed into him with her shoulder, sending him flying back and slamming into a tree. She didn't stick around to see how effective that blow was. She ran for it, ducking and dodging between trees, diving through briar patches and eventually coming to a stop behind a large rock to catch her breath. After a few seconds, she peeked around the rock to see if her attacker was still after her. Nothing there. She looked around the other side; still saw nothing. Zanya sighed with relief, starting to come down from her adrenaline rush. She was really starting to realize just how tired she was, not to mention how sore and especially hungry she was. Her stomach was rumbling loudly and starting to hurt. Fortunately, she came prepared. She had put a few energy bars in her pocket before the soccer game started. She pulled the two bars from her pocket and unwrapped them, licking her lips.

Before she could take a bite, however, she was surprised by a boot to the head, which knocked her and her snacks to the ground. Once she was down, the same boot that kicked her slammed down on her back. Sigmund glared down at her as he swiped his blade at her legs. The sword cut right through the stitches on her legs, causing them to fall off. The monster hunter then grabbed her legs and tossed them both in a random direction before he picked up her energy bars. "Hey….give those back!" Zanya shouted, her stomach starting to hurt even more now.

"I don't think your deserve these, monster." Sigmund replied cruelly. "You've made this so much more difficult than it needed to be. However, my offer still stands." He stepped around in front of her, glaring into her eyes. "Tell me where to find Grimwood's Finishing School, and you won't die by my hand." Zanya leered right back at him. If she had the strength right now, she would have throttled him. However, her hunger was sapping her strength rapidly. Sigmund tapped his foot impatiently, taking a bite out of one of the energy bars right in front of her. "It's not wise to keep me waiting, monster." He pressured her. Zanya winced as the pain in her stomach was starting to becoming unbearable. She didn't want to tell him, but she also didn't want to die permanently...especially not from starvation.

"...C….Calloway….." She groaned, making the monster hunter raise his eyebrow. "It's...near the Calloway Academy…" Sigmund frowned at her in disbelief, but pulled out his phone. After a few seconds on a map app, he blinked, then smirked.

"Well, isn't that clever? But not clever enough. I may not have been able to find it on the internet, but now that I know where the school next door is…" He chuckles as he pocketed his phone and started to leave.

"Wait! Where are you going!?"

"I have a job to do." He replied simply without even looking at her.

"But...you can't just leave me here to starve…." Zanya said with a pleading tone.

"Why not?"

"You said that-"

"I said you wouldn't die by my hand, zombie. A pity, though. I would have made your death quick. However, you chose to die slow and painful from starving. But that was your choice and now you have to live with it." And with that, he continued on his way, leaving the legless Zanya in the middle of the woods. She just laid there, staring at the man's back in horrified disbelief. He was really going to leave here there!? After a serious pang of hunger interrupted her, she was reminded of her dire situation. She was stuck in the middle of the woods, her legs gone, nothing to eat, and no one knew where she was. What was she going to do? She thought her best bet would be to find her legs, but she could hardly move from her hunger. Her vision was starting to go blurry as the pain increased. She felt she may have been hallucinating too, because she could see a pink and yellow glob and a red, yellow and blue glob headed for her. Before she could start asking any questions, the poor zombie had lost consciousness.

* * *

Moments ago…

"Lola, are you sure this was a good idea…" Lana whispered as she and her twin crept through the woods. After she had spotted the stranger's text messages, she decided to keep an eye on him. She was the only one among them to see him creep away after Zanya had been hurt and became suspicious. The pageant princess enlisted her twin sister to help her in tailing him. They were nearly scared off by the gunshots inside the school, but Lola refused to give up so easily, following Sigmund as he pursuit Zanya. Unfortunately for them, they lost him not long after they entered the forest.

"No...but we have to find them anyway...make sure Zanya is ok…" Lola whispered as the two treked through the undergrowth. She wasn't sure where to find them, though she didn't want to admit it to Lana. In fact, she might go so far as to say they were lost. However, fortune was about to favor them.

"Wait! Where are you going!?"

"Lana...you heard that?" Lola whispered. Her hat wearing sister nodded, pointing toward where she heard the sound. The two crept over to a cluster of bushes to watch the scene unfold.

"I have a job to do." He replied simply without even looking at her.

"But...you can't just leave me here to starve…." Zanya said with a pleading tone.

"Why not?"

"You said that-"

"I said you wouldn't die by my hand, zombie. A pity, though. I would have made your death quick. However, you chose to die slow and painful from starving. But that was your choice and now you have to live with it." Lola and Lana's jaws nearly hit the floor as they watched Sigmund leave Zanya for dead.

"That….is horrible…" Lola muttered quietly in disgust.

"I've only met a few bad men in my life...but he's the worst…" Lana agreed angrily. Once the monster hunter was gone, the twins ran over to Zanya just as she passed out.

"Oh no…" Lola gasped, Lana getting closer to her for a look. She checked her pulse, but quickly realized she didn't have a pulse to begin with, so that didn't help. She then checked her breathing.

"...she's still alive." Lana said. "She's breathing...but only barely…"

"We need to get her something to eat…." Lola looked to her sister. "Do you have anything?"

"Not a thing.." Lana replied sadly, but then her face lit up. "But I do remember what I learned in the Bluebells. Some roots can be eaten. They don't taste great, but they are nutritious."

"Ok. You go forage for roots or something to Zanya, quick." Lola said as she pulled out her cell phone. "I'm calling Lisa."

"Lisa? Why Lisa?"

"She put tracking chips in us, remember? She can call an ambulance for Zanya." Lola explained as she dialed her phone. Lana nodded as she ran off to get some food for the zombie girl. "Hang in there, Zanya…." Lola prayed quietly as she waited for someone to pick up.


	22. Chapter 22: Aftermath

The Aftermath

Back at the game, shortly after Zanya had been taken to the Nurse's Office…

The officials and few police at the game had their hands full trying to keep order among the arguing parents and opposing players. Lynn Sr also had his hands full, trying to keep Lynn Jr from joining the fray. In all the commotion, no one noticed Lola and Lana sneaking down the bleachers, following the stranger Lola was keeping an eye on. However, Lisa, who was trying not to watch the chaos happening on the field, did notice someone else trying to sneak away. Looking down at the back of the stands, she saw Malora creeping out from underneath. "Curious…" The little genius said aloud. "What is she doing down there…"

"Who?" Lori asked, turning to see what the four year old was looking at. "Hey...isn't that that Malora girl?"

"What!?" Lynn Sr and Jr exclaimed together. Both of them and the remainder of the Loud children all quickly turned to see the brat tucking a sack into her backpack.

"What's she doing here…?" Luna asked with a frown.

"I dunno...but I intend to find out." The sporty brunette said as she broke free of her father's grip and vaulted over the back of the stands. "Bombs away!" She screamed, getting Malora's attention. She was too slow to get out of the way, however, and ended up getting slammed by the falling Loud. She tried to struggle and fight her, but Lynn was much too strong for her. The evil ex tv star was soon pinned by her.

"Get off! Get off, you tomboy freak!" Malora screamed as Lynn had her arm twisted behind her back.

"Smile when you say that!" Lynn snapped, her sisters arriving on the scene. "What are you doing around here!? Aren't you supposed to be doing community service!?"

"None of your business!" While the two fought, Lisa took the opportunity to look in her backpack.

"As I suspected. A bag of caltrops." Lisa said with a serious frown. "Malora was responsible for Zanya's injury."

"What!?" Lynn suddenly saw red as her grip on Malora's arm tightened. "I'll break your-"

"Save it, sis." Lori interrupted, grabbing hold of her younger, yet stronger sister. "It's not going to help Zanya feel better for you to break her arm."

"...would make me feel better…." Lynn muttered, just as a shot rang out. Everything went silent out on the field. "What was that!?"

"If I had to hazard a guess, I would assume projectiles being released by a firearm. In layman's terms…"

"Gun fire!" Lori finished her sentence in a panic. Three more shots followed, forcing the Loud kids to take cover in front of the bleachers, Lynn dragging her captive with her.

"What fool brought a gun…?" Lynn Sr asked, holding his children close. Two of the police officers present ran into the school to investigate, while the last officer went over to Lynn Jr to take Malora away from her. As Lisa was turning over the evidence to him, Cynthia came running over to them, looking utterly horrified.

"Has….Has Zanya come back here?"

"No...why?" Lynn Sr asked, half dreading the answer.

"She's gone! We left her in the nurse's office to go get more bandages, we heard the gun shots and when we came back, she was gone!" She exclaimed frantically.

"What!?" The Loud children and their father all looked horrified at the news of their undead friend's disappearance.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Miss Lesrec?" Lisa asked with a frown, leering at the mean girl.

"I don't have to answer to you, midget." Malora responded derisively.

"Then you can answer to the twins…" Lynn Jr said, cracking her knuckles.

"Young lady, you know we can't allow you to do that…" The officer said with a sigh. "Besides, what make your think she was involved in this?"

"Zanya disappeared right after SHE threw those spiked things at her." Lynn responded angrily.

"Unfortunately, Lynn, that is purely circumstantial evidence." Lisa commented, though she hated to admit it. "Without a more solid correlation, there is little we can do…granted, we do still have evidence she assaulted Zanya."

"Actually, where did she get those spiky things?" Leni asked, scratching her head.

"That's a good question." Lucy commented. "Caltrops aren't something you can get someplace like the mall…"

"...and they're classified as weapons." The officer added, looking sternly at Malora.

"Well, looks like you aren't as 'sharp' as you thought, Malora. Maybe next 'crime' you'll reconsider." Luan quipped, getting the usual groans from those around here. Just then, they all heard a car door slam, just before Trent and a woman they hadn't seen before came running up to them.

"Where is Zanya!?" He asked, looking and sounding one step away from some kind of meltdown.

"We don't know…" Lori admitted, more concerned than ever. The grizzled detective swore under his breath.

"Mr Talon! There are children present!" Lynn Sr scolded him.

"Don't get on my case, Loud! A murderer may be after my little girl!" He screamed right into the Loud father's face, causing him to go pale.

"Detective, if I may…" Agent Jumper said as she stepped between him and Lynn Sr. "Mr Loud. I am Agent Jumper, of the CIA. Have you either you or your children see this man." She pulled out a picture of Sigmund and showed it to all of them.

"Not that I recall, no." Lynn Sr said after examining the picture for a moment.

"I have." Lucy piped up.

"Where!?" Trent asked frantically.

"He was at our school over a few weeks back, trying to tell security cameras to the school. And Lincoln said he saw a man like that on our street when he last visited." She explained.

"...so he's been watching every place Zanya has been for some time…" Agent Jumper commented quietly, before saying in her normal voice. "I was referring to today." The girls all went silent as they shook their heads or shrugged.

"Who is this man?" Leni asked. The CIA agent thinks for a moment, considering what to tell them. However, she decided they were pretty thoroughly involved now.

"This man is an international criminal, accused of the murder of many monsters." She started to explain. "His name is Sigmund Lesrec."

"Lesrec!?" Lynn Jr violently turned toward Malora.

"It seems we have yet another connection between Zanya's disappearance and Miss Lesrec here." Lisa commented, cleaning off her glasses. "I trust you will agree this can hardly be a coincidence, officer."

"You're crazy. I haven't seen him recently." Malora protested, the cop still holding her firmly.

"...you do have a point, little miss." The police officer said after a moment's consideration. "I already have sufficient evidence to take Miss Lesrec to the station for assault and possession of a weapon-"

"Weapon? What weapon?" Trent asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Malora had a big bag of metal spike things with her when I jumped her." Lynn Jr explained, pointing to the bag. "She used them to send Zanya to the nurse's office." Trent gritted his teeth as he stepped forward for a look into the bag. He cautiously pulled out one of the caltrops and inspected it closely.

"Do these mean anything to you, Agent Jumper?" He asked, barely able to contain his anger.

"...these look practically new...hand forged, by the look of it." She answered, giving the metal instrument careful scrutiny. "...I cannot say for certain if they belonged to the suspect in question...but it would be impossible for a child to get her hands on such things, especially legally."

"-as I was saying…" The cop continued, very annoyed at being interrupted. "...I will take her in questioning, see what we can figure out."

"I'll be by to question her personally later…" Trent told his fellow law enforcer, his fiery gaze on Malora as she was dragged away. "For right now, finding Zanya is my priority."

"But we don't even know where to start…" Luan pointed it. As if on cue, Lori's phone rang.

"Not the best time…" She commented as she answered her phone. "Boo Boo Bear, this really isn't…..Lola? Why are you calling my-" It was then the eldest Loud sister noticed the twins were missing. "Lola!? Where the hey are you and Lana!?" Her exclamation got everyone's attention, alerting them to the absent children. "...you're with Zanya?"

"They are!? Where is she!?" Cynthia shouted, reaching for the phone.

"Hold on...she's getting to...what? Lisa? Why do you want to….don't you take that tone with me!" Lori glared at her phone, clenching it tightly. "...fine...Lisa, Lola wants to speak with you." She sourly handed over her cell to the young genius.

"Go on." Lisa said simply, one hand behind her back. "Hmmmm. This is true...a fine idea. I will have an ambulance en route immediately. Do what you can in the meantime. Until we meet again." The brilliant toddler hung up, looking to all the people currently staring at her as she pulled out a PDA device. "Lola and Lana are with Zanya. She's unfortunately in bad shape...it seems she had indeed encountered this bad man as Lola called him."

"Did she say where she is!?" Trent demanded to know.

"Unfortunately, she doesn't know where they are. They're in the middle of some woods." Lisa replied calmly. "However, because of the tracking devices I placed in my siblings, I can pinpoint their location and send medical assistance post haste."

"Wait...you have tracking devices in us!?" Lori asked in outrage.

"Um…...nooooo." Lisa answered, her eyes darting back and forth, looking very guilty.

"Nevermind that for now…" Cynthia said, trying to avert an argument before it started. "...can you tell us which hospital our daughter is going to?"

"Royal Woods General. It's the closest medical facility to their location. You may want to get there quickly, Mrs Talon. I doubt the doctors there will be prepared for a zombie patient."

"You read my mind, Dr Loud." Cynthia said. "Mr Loud, would you be so kind as to give me a lift, please?"

"Uh….of course." Lynn Sr replied.

"You lot go on ahead...I have a treacherous little girl to question…" Trent grumbled.

"I'll go with you, Detective." The stern faced CIA agent said, moving over beside him.

"...might I join you? I may be able to help." Lucy inquired, startling the woman from the CIA.

"Lucy, I don't really want you going alone to a place full of criminals…." Lynn Sr said, putting his foot down. "It's bad enough that Lola and Lana are heaven knows where…"

"What if I went with her?" Luan offered. "I can keep an eye on her and keep her safe."

"Ooo! Can I go too!" Leni asked cheerfully, raising her hand.

"This isn't a pleasure trip!" Trent snapped.

"Now hold on, Detective…" Agent Jumper intervened. "While it is unorthodox, they could be of help, being close to Miss Lesrec's age and knowing her better than we do." The angry father simply snorted, turning toward Lynn Sr.

"Well...I suppose if you're with your older sisters, it'll be ok...but don't either of you let Lucy out of your sight!" The Loud Patriarch warned before the two groups split up; Lynn Sr, Cynthia and the remaining Loud girls went off in Vanzilla toward the hospital, while Trent, his current partner, Lucy, Leni and Luan all drove off to the precinct.

* * *

Back at the Loud House…

Rita had finally gotten the sick little Lily to sleep, looking exhausted herself. While all she had was a cold, it was a rough experience for the infant, making it a trial for her mother as well. But she was finally sleeping peacefully now. The Loud mother slumped onto the couch, sighing with relief. As she lounged on the sofa, she remembered something she had intended to do. She remembered that she wanted to call Miss Grimwood. She slowly pulled out her phone and punched in the number to the finishing school. After waiting for a couple seconds…

"Grimwood's Finishing School. Miss Grimwood speaking." The headmistress responded calmly.

"Hello, Miss Grimwood. This is Rita Loud, Lincoln's mother."

"Oh, good afternoon, Mrs Loud. How are you this fine day?"

"Could be better, truth be told. Poor Lily caught a bad cold." Rita admitted, brushing her bangs away from her eyes.

"Oh dear...I'm sorry to hear that. So, how may I help you today?"

"Actually, Miss Grimwood...I was calling with regards to some concerns I've had…" The Loud Mother said, sitting up in her seat.

"Concerns? Is something the matter, Mrs Loud?" Abigail asked, sounding a little worried.

"When my son last visited home, he told me about an...incident that happened at your school."

"Ah. You're referring to the Revolta Incident."

"Yes. He told me about how that witch managed to kidnap the children the previous year." Rita elaborated.

"A terrible moment in Grimwood history…" The mystical woman said, her voice dripping with regret.

"Now, I'm not saying I'm worried something like this could happen again, necessarily…." Rita started to say. "But I am growing concerned about the number of students compared to the number of teachers employed at the school. Lincoln says you do a great job and I believe that...but one teacher in charge of nine children a few of which teens...to me, it seems like it would be impossible to keep an eye on all of them, even for a witch."

"Hmmmm. I do agree, Mrs Loud." Miss Grimwood admitted after a moment's thought. "I have been considering that very thing of late, especially with the possibility of more students coming to the school...fortunately, there is a witches and warlocks convention happening soon. I should be able to find a few more friends who may be open to teaching here." Lincoln's mother nodded as she listened, though there was something seriously bothering her about that.

"...who will be watching the kids while you're gone?"

"Shaggy, Scrappy and Scooby Doo have agreed to stay and watch the kids and the school in my absence." Rita bit her lip when she heard that. They may have been instrumental in saving the girls last year, but she still had her doubts about them.

"If it's all the same with you, Miss Grimwood, I would feel much safer if at least one other adult were present...in fact, if you have no objections, I would like to volunteer."

"I have no problem with that, Mrs Loud. But are you sure you could handle it?"

"Positive. If I can handle eleven kids, sometimes all at once, I think I can handle nine kids with the help of a man and two...talking dogs….that still sounds strange saying it out loud." Rita commented, getting a giggle out of Abigail Grimwood.

"Then I gratefully accept your offer. Thank you, Mrs Loud."

"Of course, Miss Grimwood….oh, there is one other matter I'd like to discuss. A slightly happier subject." The Loud Mother said. "My little girl, Lucy, would like to attend your school next year."

"He he he. I had a feeling she would, the talented little witch. The more the merrier, Mrs Loud. Just allow me the opportunity to find a few more teachers and we can handle all the paperwork and red tape."

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood. I'll see you...when are you planning to leave?"

"The first week of December, for about four days." Miss Grimwood explained.

"I'll see you then."

"Very well. Thank you again, Mrs Loud, and please don't hesitate to call again if you have any questions, comments or concerns…or even if you just wish to talk."

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood. Goodbye." Rita said as she hung up the phone, feeling significantly better after her phone call.

* * *

Many miles away, at Royal Woods General Hospital, Zanya was lying in a bed, an air mask on her face and an iv stuck in her arm. She lay there motionless, with a male doctor with a long bushy beard at one side of her, looking out of his element, and her mother on the other side, checking the zombie girl over carefully. At the end of the bed, Lisa, Luna, Lori, Lynn jr and Sr, Lola and Lana were anxiously awaiting the final diagnosis, Lynn Sr wringing his hands he was so scared. After nearly twenty minutes of examining her, Cynthia looked up, wiping her forehead and sighing a bit. "Ok...the good news is Zanya is going to be alright." She said with a soft smile.

"Thank goodness." The Loud father said.

"Yay!" The twins cheered, only to be shushed by the doctor. "Oh..sorry…"

"Whew...Zanya's one tough gal." The brown haired tomboy commented with a smile.

"There's...some of the other kind too…" Cynthia added. "...she will be alright eventually, but she's going to be out of commision for a while." That brought the mood right down again. "She came dangerously close to starving. If not for Miss Lola and Lana...I don't think she would have made it…" The grateful mother walked over and gave the twins a big hug. "...her body literally shut down out there...it'll need time to 'reboot', as it were. A few days here and she should wake up, after which a big meal and a few stitches to reattach her legs, and she'll be right as rain."

"As long as she's alright." Lori said, leaning against the footboard. "Makes me sick to my stomach that someone could do this to her just because she's a monster."

"You and me both, Lor." Luna said, her hands clenched into fists in her anger.. "I just wanna introduce that punk to the School of Hard Knocks!"

"We're all upset, girls...but this is a matter best left to the authorities." Lynn Sr said, trying to diffuse the situation. "This man is dangerous, after all…"

"Not as dangerous as a vengeful mother and father, Mr Loud." Cynthia commented nonchalantly. "And make no mistake...if I find this Sigmund Lesrec...there won't be enough left of him to find…" She continued in a calm, but threatening tone, which scared everyone in the room far more than if she had started raging about the room.

* * *

"-AND IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, YOU BETTER START TALKING! UNLESS YOU FIND THE IDEA OF GOING TO JAIL ON BEING AN ACCESSORY TO MURDER ATTRACTIVE!" Trent screamed in Malora's face inside the police station's interrogation room. He was red faced and angrier than he had ever been in his life. His wrathful bellowing was so nerve wracking, it terrified Luan and Leni, who were shivering as they held one another. However, his boisterous, aggressive interrogation was having no effect on Malora herself, who just looked at him, entirely unimpressed.

"Are you done…?" She asked in a snotty, disrespectful manner. The detective was one step away from just slapping her, but he knew if he laid so much as a hand on her, she could use that against him. Furious, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"She's a lot tougher than I imagined." Agent Jumper commented quietly. "It seems standard methods won't work here…"

"She has to know something….I'd be willing to bet my badge on it…" Trent growled as he punched the wall.

"Excuse me, Miss Jumper, Mr Talon...how about you let me try?" Luan said, sporting a bit of a grin. "I think I can get her talking."

"...go ahead…" The raging father grumbled, though he wasn't expecting anything to come from it. He just needed some time to calm down and reconsider his strategy. The family joker nodded, motioning for Leni to follow her into the room. When they entered, Malora didn't even look at that, but that suited Luan. She grabbed the chair on her own side of the table and spun it around so she could sit in it backward, her arms resting on the back, grinning at the evil girl.

"Ok, Malora. Let's cut to the chase, ok?" Luan said calmly. "We know you know something about this Sigmund Lesrec guy. We know he's your uncle. And considering he went right for Zanya, we know you had a hand in it. So why don't you make it easier on yourself and spill the beans? Maybe the judge will go easy on you if you do."

"What's she doing?" Agent Jumper asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Good cop, bad cop, I imagine." Trent suggested, crossing his arms in front of him. "Though why she picked Leni to be bad cop…."

"That's not what she has in mind." Lucy interjected. "Just watch."

"Why don't you just get lost, Braceface." The spoiled Lesrec girl said, her tone full of venom. Luan didn't even flinch from that.

"Have it your way." She said with a shrug before her smile turned into a devilish grin. "Knock knock." Malora blinked, turning to face her new interrogator.

"...what?"

"Knock knock." Luan repeated, further confusing Malora.

"...who's there?"

"Jimmy."

"Jimmy who…?"

"Jimmy the information we need, or it's gonna get ugly real quick." Luan laughed a bit after delivering the punchline. Malora didn't even crack a smile, but Leni did.

"Oooooh! I get it!" She exclaimed before she started laughing.

"It wasn't that funny." Malora said sourly. "Heck, it wasn't funny at all." Leni didn't seem to hear here, as she still laughed at Luan's joke.

"What's the difference between a lion with a toothache and a hurricane?" Luan asked, wanting to press her offensive. "One roars with pain, the other pours with rain." The secondest oldest Loud sister started laughing harder and louder after that joke, though Malora wasn't laughing. "Did you hear the one about the possessed trike? It was a vicious cycle!"

"Stop! Stop! Hahahahahahahahahaha! You're slaying me hahahahahahahahaha!" Leni pleaded through her laughter.

"Please do stop!" Malora yelled, covering her ears. Unfortunately for her, Luan wasn't done yet. She spent the next ten minutes telling lame jokes and getting Leni to laugh. The spoiled brat was wincing, the jokes starting to become painful to her. "Stop with the bad jokes!"

"Well, if you were to tell me where your uncle went, I could chill with the jokes while you cool your heels in the cooler." Luan quipped, getting a groan from her captive audience.

"I don't know where he went after I sent him after Zanya!" Malora blurted out.

"Aha! A confession!" Luan piped up, smirking as she pointed at her. Realizing her mistake, Malora's face turned red with embarrassment and anger.

"...I'm not saying another word until I've spoken to a lawyer…" She said firmly, crossing her arms.

"That only works if you're speaking-" Luan started to say.

"Miss Loud, that will do." Agent Jumper intervened, calling to her from the door. Luan's face fell as she escorted the hysterical Leni out of the room.

"What was that for? We were on to something there…."

"Sorry, Miss Loud. We do appreciate you at least getting her to admit that she was involved in sending Sigmund after Zanya...but in this position, we cannot allow you to continue…"

"But…" Luan started to object.

"It is, unfortunately, the law, Miss Loud. We cannot ask her anymore questions until she had legal council…"

"One of the more frustrating times to be in law enforcement…" Trent growled. "Still, we're at least a step further….if only a tiny step…"

"Well, they say the journey always starts with a single, tiny step." Leni said, chipper as ever.

"I suppose...say, where's your little sister?" Trent asked, noticing Lucy was missing. Back inside the interrogation room, Malora was sulking about how she had just admitted her guilt. As she wondered what more could go wrong, she started to feel someone watching her. She turned her head to see Lucy standing on the chair, staring right at her.

"What are you doing here? I said I wasn't speaking until my lawyer is present…" Lucy didn't respond, simply staring at her. Malora huffed as she turned to face the little goth. "Are you listening!? I said get lost! Are you stupid or something!?" She snapped, though for all the good it did, she may as well have spoken to the wall. Lucy was unmoved, unblinking and hardly breathing. "What are you doing!?" The cruel teen demanded to know. In response, Lucy's lips curled into a small smile. This unnerved Malora a little. "What….what ARE you doing…?" She asked again. She wished the raven haired girl would say SOMETHING. Her silence was making this unbearable. And the fact her smile was growing wasn't helping matters. "Stop it….." She whimpered as a chill went through her spine. "It's creepy…."

"Dang it...we better stop her before she gets us in trouble…" Agent Jumper said, about to head to the door.

"But why? You said we couldn't question her, and Lucy hasn't asked her a single question." Leni pointed out simply. This got the attention of the two adults present.

"...she has a point." Trent said, a smirk starting to form. "Let's see how things play out. If Miss Loud tries to question her, we'll stop her." Lucy's smile became a big, toothy smile, which left Malora utterly terrified.

"Stop it! Stop it!" She pleaded, shaking in her seat. "I don't know where my Uncle went! I swear! I assume he just killed the zombie and left!" She screamed.

"Thank you." Lucy finally said, her face returning to her usual soft frown before she hopped off the seat and strolled out of the interrogation room. "She's telling the truth." Lucy deadpanned before anyone could say anything.

"Well, that's somewhat discouraging…" The seasoned detective grumbled right before he got a text on his phone. He pulled out his cell, then sighed. "That's a relief...I just got a message from Cynthia. Zanya's gonna pull through."

"Yeah!" Luan exclaimed, punching the air.

"Yay!" Leni cheered happily.

"Wonderful…" Lucy said less sullenly than usual.

"That is wonderful news, but we're still back to square one on locating Lesrec." The stern CIA agent said with a frown.

"Let's take our victories where we can get them, Agent Jumper…" Trent said, his mood embittered by her interjection. "But I won't deny you have a point…"

"Maybe if we thought like monster hunter." The ditzy, but well meaning blonde suggested. "If we were crazy monster hunters...where would we want to go?"

"Grimwood's…." Lucy answered almost immediately.

"I doubt he'll ever find it." Trent commented. "But...to be safe, I better give Miss Grimwood a call, make sure she knows what's what. But first, I'll get you girls home." He gestures for the three Loud kids to follow him toward the station lobby, while Agent Jumper looked back at the shivering little girl still seated in the interrogation room.


	23. Chapter 23: The Calm

_AN: Sorry this took so long. I kinda suck at writing filler chapters. Anyway, a quick question to all of you out there. I made mention of Lincoln returning home for break in the story, and the next major plot development happening after. My question for you is: would you like me to do a chapter of Lincoln returning home, or do you want me to hurry up with the primary plot?_

* * *

The Calm

When it comes to autumn, most people usually think of falling leaves, crisp air, and most of all, cool weather. One wouldn't really think of bright sun and heat. However, that was exactly what was happening over at Miss Grimwood's. This wasn't natural, of course, but the result of an accident. Lincoln and Phantasma were practicing a new duo spell, but something went awry and the combination of their magical energies created a field around the school, raising the temperature to the eighties.

"We said we were sorry!" Lincoln Loud called out in the distance.

However, no one at the school minded it that much. In fact, they saw it as an opportunity to have some summer fun. Hence why most of the girls could be found hanging out by the moat. Sibella was laying down in a beach chair, wearing a black one piece with no sides, smiling as she just relaxed. Elsa, wearing a old fashioned blue and white striped one piece swimsuit, was making a sand castle with Winnie, who had donned a purple one piece. Phantasma, in a ghostly blue bikini, was hovering by Tanis, wearing her bandages like a bikini, helping the squirming little mummy put on sunscreen. "Come on, Tanis. Hold still." The giggly ghost requested, applying sun lotion to her incredibly pale skin.

"Hehehehehehehehe I can't help it." Tanis replied, laughing and giggling. "It tickles hehehehehahahahahahaha."

"I know, but you know how sensitive to burning you are without your bandages." Phanty said, persisting in her attempt to help her friend in spite of her wriggling.

"Such a lovely day." Sibella commented, stretching a little as she sighed.

"I'll say. This was the best magic accident to happen since that time I was turned into a giant." Winnie said cheerfully.

"Has anyone seen Lincoln?" Elsa asked as she topped off their castle with a splintered bone.

"I'm not sure. But I'm sure he'll turn up-" Sibella started to say.

"There he is!" Tanis declared, pointing up at the tower. Standing on the windowsill was Lincoln, with Gila right beside him. Lincoln was wearing his orange trunks, while Gila was in her usual outfit.

"You're sure this is safe?" Lincoln asked Gila as he looked down into the moat.

"Of course. We do this all the time." The aquatic girl said, just before she lept off the side and dove right into the most with a large splash. The middle Loud shrugged a bit before jumping off the side himself.

"Cannonball!" He exclaimed as her curled up and plummeted toward the waters hit the water with a big splash, soaking the nearby girls.

"Hehehehehehehey!" Winnie called out, giggling.

"Fang-tastic dive, Lincoln." Sibella commented with a giggle as he surfaced.

"Thanks Sibella. Wow, the water is great." Lincoln said. "Not cold at all."

"Yeah. Just the way the crocodiles like it." Gila said as she swam to the surface.

"Crocodiles?" The white haired lad asked, looking over his shoulder to see a trio of crocs heading their way. "How did I not notice them before…?" He pondered for the briefest moment before he swam for it, the reptiles hot on his heels. He quickly scurries up the side of the moat and onto dry land. Two of the predators gave up at that point, but the third actually followed him up. He gulped as the toothy creature bore down on him, frantically trying to remember what Lana had told him about alligator wrestling. The crocodile opened its mouth and snapped at him, but the moment it had, he sidestepped the reptile and dove into its side. The resulting scuffle kicked up a cloud of dust.

"Go Lincoln Go!" Winnie cheered as the boy battled with the croc.

"Watch the tail, big brother!" Tanis warned him. "It's tricky!" When the dust cleared, the one son actually had the large predator on its back, one hand rubbing it's soft underbelly as it thrashed about. He kept this up until the creature stopped struggling and relaxed.

"Nice one, Lincoln." Elsa complimented with a smile.

"That's our Linky!" Phantasma commented with a giggle. Lincoln smiled proudly as he stood up, feeling pretty good for himself. So good, he didn't notice the croc's tail as it slipped right next to his leg. With one swift movement, it swept his leg out from under him before flipping to its feet and pounced on him. A new struggle ensued.

"Ooooh….I warned him about those tails…." Tanis groaned. When the dust cleared, the crocodile had Lincoln on his back, rubbing his stomach and sending the human boy into hysterics.

"Hahahahaha hey stop! No fair tickling hahahahahahahaha!" Lincoln complained as he laughed. The girls couldn't help but giggle at the sight. The middle Loud pushed the crocodile off of him, jumping to his feet as the reptile struck again. For the third time, the two started wrestling again. However, when the cloud faded, only Lincoln was standing there, looking confused. "Where'd he go?" He wondered out loud.

"Err….Lincoln…" Sibella pointed behind him, desperately trying not to laugh. The white haired boy raised an eyebrow and turned around. The crocodile's teeth had a firm grip on the seat of his trunks.

"Of course…" He sighed angrily. "Hey! Let go!" The croc shook its head, shaking the boy at the same time. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that…" Lincoln thought for a moment, then an idea struck him. He reached out and plucked a cattail from the edge of the moat. He took the fuzzy plant and brushed it against its nostril. The beast's snout twitched and wiggled as it tried to hold in a sneeze, but it just couldn't. The crocodile sneezed, sending Lincoln flying into some bushes with a thud. He rose from the shrubs, shaking his head to clear his daze before glaring at the crocodile as it slunk back into the moat. He grumbled as he stepped out of the bushes, only to hear some eeps from the Grimwood girls, a few giggles, and Winnie's hysteric laughter. He looked at them, noticing how Sibella was blushing and giggling, Phanty and Tanis had their eyes covered (though Phanty was kind of peeking between two of her fingers), and Elsa was looking away and Winnie rolling on the ground laughing. He was wondering what was up until a horrible thought came to him. He slowly looked down at his legs. To his partial relief, the front of his trunks were still there. However, the seat was torn clean off.

Blushing furiously, he grabbed some leafy branches from the bushes and used them to cover his rear before chuckling nervously. "Hehehehe….excuse me…" He muttered as he hastily ran back into the school. He hadn't been this embarrassed since the time he was stuck at Girl Jordan's pool party in his underwear. And his misfortune wasn't over yet. When he ran back inside, he ran right into Matches in the entry hall. The little dragon turned and growled at the young man. "Sigh….Matches, this is seriously not the best time…." Lincoln said, looking unamused rather than afraid. This confused Matches to no end, but his befuddlement was cured when he saw Lincoln run by, keeping his backside covered with the leaves. The dog sized fire breather fell to his little knees laughing as the human boy made a mad dash for his room.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in tower, Miss Grimwood looking out as her girls were enjoying the momentary heat wave, a small smile on her face. Seeing her girls having fun always brightened her day. She was just about to return downstairs when her personal crystal ball started to shake in her pocket. Raising an eyebrow, she pulled out the tiny orb. Within the sphere was an image of Trent Talon, looking more serious than usual. "Hello Mr Talon."

"Good day, Miss Grimwood. Hope you're doing well…"

"I am, thank you. How are you, Mr Talon? How is Cynthia and Zanya?"

"That's part of the reason I called you. My daughter was nearly killed the other day…"

"What!?" The mystic headmistress gasped.

"A crazy monster hunter tracked her down and almost killed her…" Trent explained. "His name is Sigmund Lesrec…." Miss Grimwood's was momentarily shocked when she heard the name, only to become saddened for a moment, then her face hardened into a scowl. "Miss Grimwood? Are you alright?"

"Yes...I'm fine, Mr Talon...go on…" She said in a voice of forced calm.

"Well, we have no idea where he ran off to after he attacked Zanya...but we're concerned that he may be headed for your school…"

"I see...thank you for the warning, Mr Talon." She said. "I sincerely doubt he will ever find it, however. The school is shielded from being seen via technology, after all. However, we cannot be too careful…"

"I agree." The detective said with a nod. "I intend to spearhead the manhunt for this psycho, so I'll keep you informed of any new developments in the case."

"Thank you. I will do the same for you, should the unforeseen occur."

"Very much appreciated. Goodbye Miss Grimwood...and be safe."

"Farewell, Mr Talon. Same to you." The moment the image faded from the crystal ball, the middle aged witch slumped back into a chair. Sigmund Lesrec...that was a name she hadn't expected to hear again...though perhaps she should have, she thought to herself. 'He always was headstrong and determined...dangerously so…' She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. 'It's a terrible shame he chose the path he did...he was a bright young man. Strong, skilled, clever, handsome…' She looked at the glass sphere in her hand as she started to see an image from the past; over ten years ago. She was at a pub with a younger Sigmund, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. '...he was an ambitious young man, but he wasn't sure where to direct that ambition at the time...he had ideas, of course. Business, medicine, armed forces…' Abigail and Sigmund seemed to be sharing an animated chat, discussing his future. "He said what he wanted to do most was help people...and unfortunately, he found what he thought was the best way to do that when he learned about his family's history…"

* * *

Flashback: Ten years prior.

A younger Abigail Grimwood was seated at the bar of her favorite watering hole in Europe; a quaint little tavern just outside Prague. It was here she had met a couple of her closest friends. Vlad Dracula, Albert, and the gentleman she had been seeing a lot more of late, Sigmund Lesrec. He was a charming man in her eyes, and quite intelligent. However, he was a lost soul as well, in that he wasn't sure what he wanted to do in life. Naturally, the kindly witch was more than happy to try and help him find his place in this world they inhabited, which led to them becoming fast, and very close, friends. She took a sip of her mulled wine while she looked around at the interior of the pub. It wasn't too busy, filled with only a few regulars, most of which were huddled around the dusty old pool table near the corner. Several tables were empty and somewhat dusty, with the cleanest things on them were the unused ash trays. None of these things bothered Miss Grimwood, however. She didn't mind dust that much; her school was often filled with it, and she liked the peace and quiet. She was just pondering what kind of ideas to pitch to Sigmund when he came barging through the door with a look of excitement on his face. "Oh! Sigmund, you look happy." Abigail commented after a moments shock.

"Hey there, Abigail." The dirty blond haired young man said as he strolled over and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, I am. Because I think I finally found my calling in life."

"That's wonderful, Sigmund. What did you decide upon?" She asked cheerfully.

"Before I tell you that, I want to explain how I came to this decision." Sigmund said as he sat at the bar beside he and ordered a shot of whiskey. "I've been trying to figure out what I could do with my life, where my mind, skills and physical strengths could be put to good use." Miss Grimwood nodded, though this wasn't news to her. "At the same time, my brother had been very interested in tracing our family lineage. Something about his acting ambitions or what not. It's really not important. What is important is what he discovered. Our family has a link, albeit a distant one, to the family of the house Van Helsing."

"...Van Helsing, you say?" Abigail commented, her smile fading. She remembered the Van Helsing family. They never really got along, due to the family's general mistrust of witches, but they had enough respect for one another to keep things from turning hostile.

"Yes. I didn't think much of it at first, nor did my brother. However, when I looked closer at it, I made a discovery...as crazy as this may sound...monsters are real." He said quietly, as if revealing one of the big secrets of the universe.

"Er….yes. I know." Miss Grimwood replied somewhat flatly. "I'm aware of the existence of monsters."

"Really?"

"Yes. For you see, I am a witch." She admitted to him, a little worried how he would take the news.

"A witch?" Sigmund sounded surprised, but then he smiled widely. "That's fantastic! I could use the help of a witch in my venture." He told her, which worried Abigail. "For you see, I've decided to follow in the footsteps of my distant ancestors. I've decided to become a monster hunter."

"A….monster hunter?"

"Yes. I mean, think about it. Most people go about their lives completely ignorant that monsters exist…" He explained to her, drinking down his whiskey. "I know I was until this point. And that means humanity is at risk…Evil monsters could attack at any time, and we wouldn't stand a chance. I intend to give humanity a fighting chance."

"I see...I can understand your thought process on that, Sigmund...and I admit it does sound a good cause…" Abigail started, still looking concerned."...but I must ask...What do you define as an 'evil monster'?"

"All of them, my dear Abigail." Sigmund replied without missing a beat. "I've done my research. I've seen what supposedly peaceful monsters have done in the past in news articles and transcripts. The Frankenstein monster? Went on a rampage…"

"That wasn't his fault…" Miss Grimwood objected, but the young hunter to be continued.

"Vlad Dracula? Only bides his time till he strikes next. The yokai? Rusalka? The various forms of sasquatches? Killers. All of them. Only a step above animals, monsters…"

"That's enough!" The sagely witch snapped, slamming her hand on the bar, fury in her eyes. "I will not hear another word of it." The young man looked taken aback by her outburst. She took a moment to calm herself before she proceeded. "I won't deny that there have been some evil monsters in the past, as well as some who lose control at times...but monsters in general are no more evil than humans. Most simply just wish to be left alone."

"Abigail...what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if you wish to continue on this path, Sigmund Lesrec...then you go alone." She warned him, getting to her feet. "I will not be involved in the hunting of innocent monsters…"

"Please...listen to reason, Abigail." Sigmund pleaded, taking one of her hands. "It's for the good of humanity…"

"The good of humanity? I think not. If you were to start attacking monsters, you risk instigating a new conflict between man and monsters."

"At least humanity will be prepared…"

"The Van Helsings would have never-"

"Don't try and change my mind. I've made my choice…" Sigmund said firmly, releasing her hand to cross his arms in front of him.

"And I've made mine...goodbye...Mr Lesrec." Miss Grimwood said solemnly, stepping past him, a few tears trickling from her eyes as she walked toward the door. The future monster hunter raised his hand to try and stop her, but she was already halfway there. He slowly lowers his hand, then his head as the raven haired witch departed from the bar, and his life.

End Flashback

* * *

"...It saddened me greatly to leave Sigmund like that...but I couldn't possibly help him in his misguided venture...and now, the possibility that he may come here...after my students…" Miss Grimwood felt a shiver go down her spine. "Perhaps I should reconsider going to the convention…" She pondered out loud as she rose from her chair. "Then again...what are the odds of Sigmund finding the school on his own? And even if he got lucky enough to find the school, there are the magical defenses around the grounds, as well as the gargoyles...and should he get past that, Shaggy and his friends, Matches and Mrs Loud would have no doubt contacted the authorities in that event…" She started to pace about the gym tower, her mind still full of doubt. But there was one thing she didn't have any doubts on; her pupils deserved to know. She would tell them at dinner tonight, while she determines what she's going to do about finding more teachers.

* * *

"Poor Lincoln…" Sibella commented after Lincoln had departed. "Those playful crocodiles…"

"At least he wasn't hurt." Elsa said as she sat down beside her vampire friend on a beach chair.

"She's right. I can think of worse things to happen than Lincoln showing his adorable tush off." Phantasma interjected, giggling like mad.

"Phanty!" Sibella scolded, though she had a silly grin on her face as well.

"She's got a point. He could have been hurt...plus it was hysterical." Winnie said. At that moment, Lincoln had stepped back outside in a new pair of trunks, his cheeks still kind of red.

"Well, that was sufficiently embarrassing…" He said flatly as he rejoined the girls.

"Are you alright, Lincoln?" Tanis asked, looking sympathetically at him.

"Yeah. Only thing hurt was my pride." He replied. "All things considered, I was pretty lucky."

"Thank goodness." The little mummy said, smiling at him.

"Needless to say, no more crocodile or alligator wrestling for me." Lincoln said in a half joking manner, getting a little light laughter from a few of the girls. The white haired boy made his way over to where Sibella and Elsa were lounging, conjuring a chair for himself beside his vampire girlfriend.

"Taking it easy for now, Lincoln?" Sibella asked with a soft smile.

"Yeah. Think I've had enough excitement for a little while." He replied, looking over at her. "Nice swimsuit, by the way."

"Tee hee. Thanks. Yours suits you too." Lincoln blushes lightly and chuckles.

"You really think so?"

"I do." Sibella responded with a little smile before she stood up. "I think I'll go for a little swim. Back in a bit, Lincoln." She gave him a quick wink before walking toward the moat. Lincoln found himself unable to look away from the vampiress' swaying hips as she stepped away from him.

"Tsk tsk. Staring Lincoln? Not very gentleman-like." Winnie teased from right behind him, making the white haired boy jump.

"Gah! Did you ask Lucy to teach you that!?"

"Nah. I'm just naturally sneaky." The young werewolf explained, sitting right beside his chair.

"She is." Elsa confirmed. "Almost as sneaky as Phantasma." She turned to look at her spectral friend, who was way up on the roof of the school. What they couldn't see was Milly laying up there, working on her tan, and Phanty was taking a moment to annoy her a little.

"Don't hear you denying you were staring." The little lycan said with a smirk.

"Winnie!" The human boy frowned at his furred friend as she laughed.

"I'm just messing with you, buddy." She said, playfully punching his shoulder. "I know you aren't that kind of guy. You're just so easy to mess with." Lincoln's expression softened after a couple seconds as he chuckled. He knew Winnie was right; Luan, Lynn and Ronnie Anne had said the same thing a number of times.

"Though speaking of Sibella, how are the two of you doing?" The reanimated teen girl asked curiously. "And Phanty and Ronnie Anne too?"

"We're doing pretty well." The middle son answered. "There hasn't been any more fighting, thank goodness, and we're making plans for all of us to hang out together very soon."

"You mean date, right?" Winnie corrected him with a big grin.

"...yeah." Lincoln said with a deep blush.

"Way to go, Romeo. So, what'd you have planned?" While the human boy was chatting with Winnie and Elsa, he didn't notice someone was watching him intently. Gila was peeking up over the side of the bank of the moat, looking over at Lincoln with a blush. She was focused on him that she didn't notice Sibella surface right behind her.

"Gila? Is something wrong?" The vampiress asked, surprising the humanoid fish girl.

"Eep! You startled me!" Gila gasped as her cheeks turned a very bright red.

"Terribly sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"...yes, I'm fine." She replied, not meeting Sibella's gaze. The daughter of Dracula could tell something was amiss.

"Come on, Gila. You can tell me. We're all friends here." The lavender vampiress said in a motherly way, putting a hand on her aquatic friend's shoulder. Gila looks down at the water for a moment before looking over at Lincoln. Sibella turned her head to see what she was looking at. "Lincoln? Are you still nervous around him?"

"Kinda...but...not in the same way as before…" She admitted, sinking into the water to hide her glowing cheeks.

"...do you have a crush on Lincoln?" Sibella asked her with a knowing smirk.

"...yes." Gila confessed, her voice a little gurgly from her mouth being underwater. "...but can you blame me? Even when I was most frightened of him, he was so patient and sweet to me...and considerate…"

"Doesn't hurt that he's really cute, am I right?" The vampiress commented, making Gila's face flush even more as she nodded. "So why don't you tell him?"

"I can't do that...besides...aren't you dating him?"

"It's not just me, Gila. So is Phantasma and his friend, Ronnie Anne." The vampiress explained, bringing a look of confusion to the creature's daughter's face. "We all agreed that, since we all loved Lincoln and he loved us all, we all decided that we could all be in a relationship. A polyamorous relationship, I believe it is called." Gila tilted her head, still looking perplexed. "It is uncommon, yes, but it is working well for us so far."

"I see...well, I doubt it would work between us...I mean, he lives on dry land, I live primarily in water...and he cannot breathe under water…"

"I suspect Lincoln could find a way around that, but it's up to you, my friend." Sibella said, with Gila nodding.

"...I may consider it...but for now...I think it's best if we remain friends."

* * *

The girls and Lincoln spent a few more hours enjoying the beautiful weather playing outside in and around the moat, until they heard the dinner bell from inside the school. After changing to their usual clothes, they all gathered into the dining room, where Miss Grimwood, Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy were waiting for them with a smile and the octopus butler was getting ready to carve a roasted boar. "Good evening, my dear students. I hope you had fun today."

"We certainly did, Miss Grimwood." Tanis replied, with her friends all nodding in agreement.

"That's wonderful to hear." The middle aged witch said. "Before we start, I have a few things of great importance I need to discuss with you all." This made the kids all confused, curious and concerned all at once. Miss Grimwood thought for a moment, and decided to get the unpleasant business out of the way first. "I received a call from Zanya's father earlier today...she had gotten attacked the other day…"

"What!?" Winnie exclaimed, leaping to her feet.

"Is she ok?" Suki asked in deep concern.

"She is in bad shape...but she will pull through, thank goodness." Miss Grimwood elaborated, looking as relieved as everyone else. "However, this leads to the first, and most unpleasant, thing; the one who attacked her was a monster hunter…."

"A monster hunter? What was a monster hunter doing in Royal Woods?" Lincoln inquired, unable to make sense of this, at the moment.

"His name is Sigmund Lesrec…" Hearing that name explained a lot to Lincoln. He remembered what his sister and Zanya said about Malora and how she tried to make the zombie girl's life miserable. The thought she would go so far as to send a monster hunter after her turned the young boy's stomach. "...and what's more, Mr Talon warned me that he may be seeking out our school as well."

"R….Really…?" Tanis asked, becoming very frightened, and she wasn't the only one. Lincoln was also very disturbed by this revelation, as he was the only one who the young mummy had confided in regarding her dream.

"We do not know for certain. Now, I don't want you to panic. The odds of him finding the school on his own is extraordinarily thin. That said, it is better to be safe than sorry, so I will be placing some new security measures into place. Until Sigmund is caught, I must ask that students refrain from leaving the school building unless accompanied by myself, or Mr Rogers and either Scooby or Scrappy Doo." Winnie groaned a bit when she heard this. "I'm sorry, Winnie. I know how much you enjoy outdoor activities, but this is for your own safety. In addition, absolutely NO ONE, apart from myself or Matches, are permitted outside after dark. Am I understood?" All the girls and Lincoln nodded. In truth, it wasn't too different from her original rules: simply more strict. "Very good. On a potentially happier note, I've been seeking to hire more teachers here at Grimwood."

"More teachers? Why is that, Miss Grimwood?" Phantasma asked in curiosity.

"Our school is growing, Phantasma. Not just in how it's run, but in size. And I feel our numbers will continue to grow in the near future. Far too large for one person to handle alone."

"That makes sense." Elsa commented, rubbing her chin a bit as she considered it.

"As such, I will be going away for a few days to attend a witches and warlocks convention after the Thanksgiving break. Now, I know what you are all thinking…" Miss Grimwood held up her hands as Lincoln, Sibella, Tanis and Milly all opened their mouths to speak at once. "And don't fear. I won't be gone for long. Not with Sigmund on the loose. In addition, Mrs Loud has kindly volunteered to help keep an eye on things while I'm away."

"Wait...my mother is going to be coming here?" Lincoln asked, keeping his tone neutral, but internally screaming. He didn't have a problem with his mother, per se, but having her there at the school, hanging out with him and his friends...it had the potential for disaster in his mind. Plus, he hadn't told her about the relationship he shared with Sibella, Phantasma and Ronnie Anne.

"Yes, Lincoln." Miss Grimwood said. "I'm sure everything will go quite nicely. Now then, I believe that is everything I needed to cover. Let us enjoy our dinner." She gave a nod to the serving cephalopod, giving him the ok to start carving the boar. Lincoln sighs a bit, suspecting that this was going to get interesting. He turned his head slightly to look at Tanis, who looked worried to the point of losing her appetite.

"Tanis…" He whispered to her. "I know why you're concerned…" The young mummy turned to look at the human she saw as her big brother.

"It's just like my dream…" Tanis replied under her breath. "A bad man looking for the school...Miss Grimwood is going away...if this keeps up, then-"

"Sssshhh. Tanis, it was just a dream." He repeated quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder "Besides, it's like Miss Grimwood says. The odds of him finding the school are really low, and even if he did, it's well defended, with new defenses on the way. If this Sigmund guy tries to get in, he'll regret it."

"I guess…" Tanis said, though she didn't seem quite convinced. Lincoln looks down at his plate as he was served a portion of boar, deep in thought himself. He was going to be returning home during Thanksgiving break, he thought to himself. Perhaps he should ask his sisters for some self defense lessons, just in case things go south.


	24. Chapter 24: Home For Break part 1

_AN: This chapter and the next one or two to go with it are going to be kinda short in comparison. Didn't want to repeat the mistakes I made with super long chapters like Home Again Home Again, trying to include everyone at once. This will probably go for one or two more chapters (including a visit to the hospital with Zanya and Thanksgiving Day with the Louds). After that, I'm considering having a chapter dedicated to the Calloway Cadets at New Calloway before returning to our regularly scheduled program. If you'd like that idea, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Thank you and enjoy the story._

* * *

Home for break part 1

The week of Thanksgiving had finally come, and that Sunday, the Loud children were getting things cleaned up and ready around the house. Usually, it would take nothing short of a miracle to get children to clean. However, these were special circumstances. Not only were they expecting Bobby and Ronnie Anne over this year, but Lincoln was coming back from Grimwood's for the holiday. To further excite the family, he had informed them he would be bringing a few guests with him. As exciting as this news was, it also kind of confusing to his sisters. They imagined Sibella would probably be coming with him, but who was the other guest? "So, who do you think Linky's bringing, Lori?" Leni asked as she finished dusting the living room.

"I really can't say Leni. Lincoln was pretty vague when he said he was bringing company." The oldest of the Loud sisters responded, checking Leni's work. "Very nice."

"Well, I believe it is safe to assume Sibella Dracula would be one of his guests." Lisa commented, walking on the ceiling with special boots she developed, clearing cobwebs as she went.

'Hopefully, she and Ronnie Anne have made peace with one another.' Lori prayed in her own mind.

"I hope it's Tanis." Leni said with a giggle. "She's so adorable."

"Nah. It'll probably be Winnie." Lynn Jr interjected as she came downstairs carrying a few garbage bags.

"We'll find out soon enough, sisters." Lucy suddenly said, startling Lori and Leni before she continued on upstairs with a broom.

"I wish she would stop doing that…" Lori complained.

"You wouldn't be so surprised if you paid attention to your surroundings." Lisa pointed out as she descended the wall down to ground level.

"Now see-" Lori started to say, but just then, the orb on the living room table turned green. "Oh! Everyone! Lincoln's on his way!" There was a rush to get to the living room, not only for Lincoln's sisters, but his mother and father as well. They all donned sunglasses, remembering the bright flash from last time. Sure enough, after a flash of light, there stood Lincoln, with Sibella in one arm and Phantasma in the other.

"You were right, Sibella. It can teleport us all." Lincoln commented as he recovered from the usual goosebumps that came from teleportation.

"What did I tell you, Lincoln? I had faith in your enchanting skills." The vampiress said with a smile.

"Welcome home, Linc!" Luna said, the one son and the two monster girls realizing they were surrounded.

"And greetings once more to you as well, Sibella and Phantasma." Lisa said with a smile.

"It's fang-tastic to see you all again." The vampiress replied.

"It's a real treat to see the Loud clan again." Phanty said as the girls all went in for one big group hug.

"We're thrilled to have you over for the holiday, Sibella, Phantasma." Rita said, an arm around her husband.

"Thank you so much for having us, Mrs Loud. And a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr Loud." Sibella responded, holding a hand out to Lynn Sr after the group finally dispersed.

"Likewise, Miss Dracula." He replied, shaking her hand. "And it's nice to see you again, Miss Phantom."

"Ah, no need to be so formal, Mr Loud. Call me Phantasma, or even Phanty if you like." The spirited spirit told him with a giggle.

"And feel free to call me Sibella." The lovely vampiress added.

"Come on, Sibella." Lucy said, gently taking her hand. "I'll show you where you'll be staying." The little goth smiled lightly as she escorted Sibella up the stairs.

"We were still getting our act together when you arrived, Phanty, so it will take a bit before your room will be ready." Lori explained apologetically.

"That's fine." The playful ghost replied. "If you have an attic or basement, that'd be fine with me."

"We'll see what we can put together for you, Phanty." The oldest of the Loud siblings said as she brought Phanty upstairs.

"Come on, Linc. I'll take you to your room." Lynn said as she grabbed hold of his arm and climbed the stairs with Lincoln right behind her. She took him right to the converted linen closet that was his room, which was empty (since Zanya was still in the hospital).

"Heh. Kinda missed my old room." Lincoln commented as he looked at the tiny space with a small smile. He then looked at the bed, thinking of the poor zombie girl in the hospital. Lynn joined his gaze for a moment, her own smile fading.

"Lynn…" Lincoln started to say.

"Lincoln…" Lynn started to say at the same time.

"I need you to teach me to defend myself."

"You are going to learn to defend yourself!" They both said at the same time, turning to look intensely at one another, before the two of them blinking in surprise.

"You...really want to learn?" Lynn asked him, wondering if she heard right.

"Yes. Miss Grimwood told us someone dangerous could be headed for the school…"

"Sigmund Lesrec…" The headstrong sports star said with a frown. "Yeah, Mr Talon told us their theory about him looking for Grimwood. That's part of the reason I was gonna make you learn to fight."

"Do Mom and Dad know?"

"That's the other part." She explained. "After they heard, they insisted we teach you what we can while you're here. Not that we needed to be asked."

"Of course." Lincoln commented. "I just want to be ready, just in case he does find the school and find a way in. To protect myself, my friends-"

"And your girlfriend?" Lynn interjected with a grin, nudging him in the ribs.

"Heh...er...actually, that's something I wanted to tell you guys about…" Lincoln said nervously. "...but I wanted to wait until we were all together."

"Oh really?" Lynn asked with a grin the one son usually associated with mischief and pain.

* * *

"Pardon if it's a little crowded, Sibella." Lucy said as she took the vampiress into the room she shared with Lynn Jr. "I have a roommate."

"It's quite alright, Lucy. I'm used to living with a roommate. Phanty and I share a room back at the school." Sibella told the young girl with a smile.

"I wasn't sure if you'd prefer the bed, or the coffin." Lucy admitted, gesturing toward her two possible resting places. "I personally recommend the coffin. It's quite comfortable."

"Thank you for the recommendation, Lucy, but I think I would prefer a bed." She leans a little closer to her. "Between you and me, I don't like sleeping in enclosed places."

"I understand." The little goth responded with a nod. "I just like the absolute darkness. Plus it dulls outside noise, which is essential around here."

"Really? Would that have to do with your surname being Loud?" Sibella joked, getting a soft, single chuckle from Lucy.

"Something to that extent." She answered. "By the way, if I may ask, how are things with you and Lincoln?"

"Hmm? Oh, we're doing quite well, thank you." Sibella said.

"So...you two are dating?" The vampiress paused a moment, biting her lip a bit. She knew Lincoln wanted to tell them himself, and all at once.

"Give it a little time, Lucy, and Lincoln will tell all of you all about it." Sibella answered.

"You don't say…" The fifth youngest of the Loud kids said quietly, looking toward the door to the hall.

* * *

Up in the attic, Lori had just finished setting up an air mattress up there, along with an extra pillow and a few blankets. Phanty smiles as she floated around the room, looking up at the bats that took up residence in the rafters. "Certainly a cozy little place." She commented, more to herself than to the eldest sister.

"I think it's more creepy than cozy…" Lori said, shivering a bit as she looked around.

"One gals creepy is another gals cozy." Phanty said, gently petting the bats. Lori looked up at her, about to question that, but then she remembered what Lincoln and her sisters had said about Grimwood's school.

'I suppose she's used to it.' She thought to herself. "Anyway, I hope you're comfortable up here."

"I'm sure I will be. As comfortable as if I were in Linky's arms." The giggly ghost replied, chortling a bit.

"Heh. Careful how loud you say that. Wouldn't want to make Sibella jealous." The oldest of the Loud siblings told her with a grin.

"I don't have to worry about that." Phanty said, before hastily covering her mouth. "Oops. Almost let it slip."

"Almost let what slip?" Lori asked, intrigued.

"You'll see when you all get together." She said in reply.

"That a fact?" The phone loving blonde smirked as she walked over to the trapdoor leading back to the hall.

"FAMILY MEETING!" Lori, Lynn and Lucy all shouted at once, looking at one another in shock.

"Great minds think alike, I guess." Lynn said with a shrug and a giggle. The Loud sisters were all starting to mill down to the living room. Sibella and Phanty both looked very confused as they entered the hall, along with a nervous Lincoln. "Aren't you coming?" Leni asked, one of the last ones in the hall.

"They said it was a family meeting-" Sibella started.

"And you're practically family already." Leni told her with a smile. "Come on." She waved them to follow as she descended the stairs. The phantom and vampiress shrugged to one another before they went downstairs to join the Louds. Rita and Lynn Sr both looked utterly perplexed as they all gathered around the couch and chairs.

"Everyone! Lincoln has an announcement to make!" Lynn Jr called out, pointing to the shaking boy, all eyes being directed toward him.

'Thanks a lot, Lynn…' Lincoln thought angrily, though it didn't show on his face. 'Even got Mom and Dad involved...why not invite Mr Grouse too!?' Just then, there was a loud knock at the door.

"Louds!" screamed their grouchy neighbor.

"I was kidding!" Lincoln shouted to no one in particular. Lynn Sr ran to the door to see what was up.

"Keep it down, Louds! I'm trying to nap!" Mr Grouse shouted.

"Sorry, Mr Grouse...just having a family meeting. We'll keep it down…" The Loud father said apologetically. Their large, cranky neighbor just grunted before he returned to his house.

"Go ahead Linc. What's on your mind?" Lana asked, smiling calmly at him. Sibella and Phantasma got an idea about what it was they wanted Lincoln to talk about. They both moved over beside him, each taking hold of a hand gently.

"It's ok, Lincoln. We'll be right by your side." Sibella said softly. The white haired boy took a deep breath before he stood up. He paced about for a moment, carefully considering what he was going to say (since the opportunity to do at greater length so was robbed from him).

"Alright...as a few of you may know…" He looked to Lori and Leni, who were seated next to one another on the couch, Lori looking intently at her little brother. "...I've had a...rather big problem a while ago…"

"A problem? What's wrong, honey?" His mother asked with great concern.

"Don't worry, Mom. We've already resolved the problem.." Lincoln replied quickly, not wanting to worry her any further. "...but as I was saying...it was a problem...of a romantic nature." This got the attention of the remaining sisters (who hadn't gotten a hint from Lincoln, Sibella, or Phantasma), who looked either worried or enchanted. "...my heart went out-" Just then, there was a knock on the door, causing nine of the ten sisters to groan in annoyance. Lola stormed over to the door, threw it open and opened her mouth to scream at the one behind the door.

"Hey Lola." Ronnie Anne said with a smile, the pageant princess pausing mid chew out. Standing beside her was Bobby, who had a hand on her shoulder.

"Hello everyone." Bobby said in greeting as the prissy twin let them in.

"Boo Boo Bear!" Lori practically defied time and space as she zipped right over to give her boyfriend a hug, Ronnie Anne going over to give Lincoln a big hug as well.

"Aaaawwwwwwww!" His sisters, mother and father cooed at the sight.

"I think I get where this is going." Lisa said, adjusting her glasses. "I imagine that you and Ronnie Anne have officially decided to, as they say, go steady."

'I knew it!' Lori thought excited, though she would have been fine if Lincoln had gotten with Sibella as well.

"Not...necessarily." Ronnie Anne said with a raised eyebrow, looking at Lincoln. He quickly whispered what was going on to her.

"Then you picked Sibella!" Lola exclaimed, about to burst.

"Yes...and no." Lincoln replied, which caused all kinds of confusion.

"Then...you picked Phantasma?" Leni asked, scratching her head.

"Kinda." Phanty replied simply.

"What's with all the wishy washy answers!?" Lynn asked angrily. "Either you are dating one of them, or you're not!"

"Actually...I'm dating...all of them." He said bluntly, after a moment's hesitation. The silence was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife.

"Say….What?"" Lori asked, uncertain if she heard what she did.

"What are you talking about? You can't date them all." Lynn said, still frowning.

"Why not?" Phantasma asked with a tilted head. Lynn jr turned to answer, but she didn't have one to give her, her frown fading as she realized this.

"It's...just not how it works." Rita interjected, completely thrown by Lincoln's declaration. "Plus it's not fair to any of the girls…"

"Even if we're all ok with it?" Ronnie Anne asked, an arm still around the one son.

"You...are?" Rita sounded even more lost now.

"We sure are." Sibella agreed, standing behind Lincoln, both hands on his shoulders. "Lincoln loved us all, and we all loved him. So, after some...debate and putting our heads together-"

"-we all decided we were fine with all three of us dating Linky." Phanty finished her thought, floating over to Lincoln's other side.

"A polyamorous relationship...fascinating." Lisa said, tapping her chin.

"A what?" Leni asked. " I thought they said they were all dating each other."

"...that's what it means, Leni…" Lisa replied with a sigh.

"I'm...not sure how I feel about this…" Lynn Sr said, looking at the four children before him with an expression that was hard to describe. "I mean...something about it doesn't sound right...but...if you're all really ok with it…."

"I think it's sweet." Leni commented. "Four hearts coming together as one, going beyond petty jealousy for the sake of love."

"That's a beautiful thought, Leni...but I don't see such a relationship working." Lisa said flatly.

"Why not?" Lana asked. "They said they were all cool with it."

"Because the probable odds of all parties involved sharing their time equally among one another, particularly with the distance Ronnie Anne has to Lincoln, is practically non-existent." The little genius explained in a deadpan tone.

"What about that teleportation orb?" Lynn Jr pointed out, causing Lisa's eyes to open wide.

"...I...suppose I had overlooked that…" She admitted.

"Personally…" Luna suddenly piped up. "...I believe in a thing called love, no matter what form it takes." She smiled over to her brother and his girlfriends. "If this setup makes you happy, then rock on, you crazy kids."

"Bobby...what do you think?" Lori asked, worried about how he would feel about the situation.

"I already knew about it, babe." He admitted. "We were kinda in the thick of things when they came to that decision. And we're all cool with it."

"Our Linky...a prince charming with three princesses….EEEEEEE!" Lola squeed excitedly.

"Not saying I'm entirely against this…." Lynn Jr said. "Because I'm not...but any athlete can tell you that there aren't three first places."

"What about a tie?" Phanty asked.

"Watch your language…" The sporty girl said with a light frown, confusing the fun loving phantom.

"The word 'tie' is kind of a four letter word to Lynn, when it comes to competition." Lincoln explained.

"And what about marriage?" Rita asked. "You can't marry all three of them…"

"Mom...it's going to be at least seven years before we even consider marriage." Lincoln said, in a slightly exasperated tone.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Ronnie Anne added firmly.

"If you all would like my opinion…" Bobby said, stepping forward to stand beside the quartet. "...I say; if they are happy, then that's all that matters."

"Truer words were never spoke, dude." Luna said with a smile, raising her fist in agreement.

"Besides, most of you don't know what Lincoln was going through before…" Leni added, moving over beside the white haired boy.

"Leni's right." Lori said, joining her younger sister and her boyfriend. "Lincoln looked like he was literally being eaten up from the inside out trying to decide between the them. They all came together and made this decision mutually, for everyone's benefit."

"Besides, who are we to get in the way of true love?" Lola interjected, moving beside Ronnie Anne.

"What Lola said." Lana agreed. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

"While statistically, I have my doubts that this relationship can work...I still support my elder brother's choice in this respect. Besides, sometimes the long shots pay off the most." Lisa said calmly.

"And if there is anyone tough enough to make it work, it's them." Luan quipped, looking particularly at Ronnie Anne. "I mean, they have the spirit…" She gestures toward Phantasma. "And cleverness is in their blood." She grins over at Lincoln and Sibella. "I may be the jesting sort, but I know romance is no joke. I look at them and I see the real thing."

"I meant what I said before. I got no problem with this arrangement, nor anyone here." Lynn said, a small smile starting to appear.

"You've been mighty quiet, Lucy…" Luan said, looking at the little goth. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"My brother is dating a vampire and a ghost...the only way it could be better is if I were dating a vampire." Lucy replied, a smile suddenly appearing on her face. Lincoln felt relief fill his heart as his sisters and Bobby expressed their support. Now, he just had to worry about their parents. His mother and father looked at one another, as if they were having a telepathic conversation. The silence and the worried looks on their face made the one son very uneasy. After a few minutes, Rita sighed before they faced the crowd of their children, Bobby, Ronnie Anne, Sibella and Phantasma.

"Lincoln, we won't pretend that we don't have concerns about this relationship…" His mother started.

"...But in the end, it is your decision. All of you." Lynn Sr finished, "If this is what you want, and what makes you happy…"

"...then we're behind you all the way." Rita finally said. Lincoln smiled and, after getting through his sister, ran over to them to hug them both. The two of them smiled warmly at him, returning the embrace with their son.

With the family meeting over, the family dispersed, most returning to their rooms, or to what they were doing before the meeting was called. There were a few exceptions, however. Lola had taken Sibella by the hand and led her upstairs to her room, while Lisa requested to speak to Phantasma in her own room, and Lori and Bobby both went out of the house, leaving Lincoln and Ronnie Anne alone in the living room. "Well...that went better than I expected…" He said kind of quietly, a relieved smile on his face.

"I'm surprised you hadn't told them sooner." Ronnie Anne said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Not that easy in this house." Lincoln explained. "News travels fast, but information tends to get lost in translation. Try to imagine, if you will, if I told Lori about. Lori tells Leni, who misunderstands. From there, she tells others her version of what Lori told her…"

"I getcha, Lincoln." Ronnie stopped him with a chuckle. "Like a rumor telephone. Yeah, I see your point. Better to tell everyone all at once."

"Yeah."

"So….are you going to be a gentleman and show me to my room?" Ronnie Anne asked with a teasing smirk.

"I'd be happy to...but I don't know where you're staying." Lincoln confessed with a shrug.

"That's ok. I know. I'll direct you, you lead the way." She told him, holding her hand out to him. With another soft shrug and a smile, he gently takes her hand. "Thank you, Lincoln."

"Anytime, Ronnie Anne. So, where are we going?"

"We're already here." She told him, directing his attention to the couch.

"Oh...guess we didn't have that far to go…"

"Hehe. Don't worry about it, hermoso. It's the thought that counts." She said with a giggle, lightly flicking his turkey tail.

"Hehehe. Er...what does that mean?" Lincoln inquired.

"Handsome, naturally." She explained right before she kissed him on the lips.

* * *

"Thank you soooooo much for coming to my tea party, Countess." Lola said with a big smile as she poured her a cup of tea. Sibella had been a little surprised when Lola sprang this sudden tea party on her, but played along to make the little princess happy.

"Thank you for inviting me, Lola." Sibella replied, taking a sip of the tea. It was actually really good. "The tea is fang-tastic. Did you make it yourself?"

"Well, I would LOVE to take credit, but no. I'm not allowed to use the stove yet." Lola explained with a soft chuckle. "But I did buy this special custom blend myself."

"You clearly had a nose for tea."

"Tee hee. I don't like to brag...actually, no, I love to, but beside the point." Lola waved off her own thought before she suddenly took a more business like tone. One that make Sibella a touch nervous. "Anyway, there was a specific reason I wanted to speak to you right here and now."

"And that is…?"

"To discuss your and Lincoln's wedding, of course." The pageant participant replied as if it was the most obvious thing. Sibella just sat there with a 'say what?' look on her face.

"Our wedding? Lola, didn't you hear your brother when he said-"

"Yes, I heard him. He said seven years, at very least. Which is why we want to be ready." The beauty obsessed twin interrupted as she pulled out her phone. "We've done it for all of our other siblings at this point."

"We?"

"Yeah. All of us. I mean, I'm good, but planning a wedding all by myself? Choose your battles, girlfriend." She continued as she tapped on her phone. "We have wedding details here for everyone. Even Lily. See for yourself." She handed the vampiress the phone, which had several text documents lined up. At the top of the list was Lori, and ended with Lily. Sibella tapped the document with Lori's name and her eyes widened. The level of detail that was listed was incredible. Venue, food, music, the dress, decor, everything. It was borderline a professional level planned event...except for a few lines that said simply goo goo, la la ma ma, and poo poo.

"I guess Lily got her two cents in as well?" Sibella inquired.

"Yeah, but Lisa and Luan haven't gotten around to translating yet." Lola explained, standing beside Sibella to look over her own work proudly. "What do you think?"

"Lola, this is incredible...does Lori know about this?"

"She knows it exists, but she wasn't allowed to help plan it. I mean, how can it be a surprise if she helps plan it?"

"That makes sense...I guess. But then why are you asking for my help if you want it to be a surprise to us?"

"I'm looking for ideas of what you'd like." Lol explained, her fingers pressed together in front of her. "To make it as perfect as possible for you and Lincoln. It's fine if you know about it; only the final details are the surprise." Sibella looked at her, rather surprised as she closed that document and opened up Lucy's next. The same level of detail as before, except the groom's name was left blank.

"Why is there no name here?"

"We like to be certain. Lucy is kinda dating Rocky Spokes right now...more adorable than you'd think, by the way...but we wanna give it a few years before we set anything in stone."

"You've thought of everything, didn't you?" Lola beamed with pride as she nodded. "Did Lincoln help with the planning?" That made the little princess' smile fade quickly.

"Eeeehhhh….no." She admitted. "I mean, Lincoln's a master planner, for sure...but he's also a bit of a spoil sport. Always trying to inject his 'logic' into things. Sure, there is some elements of fantasy to most of our plans, but we can dream, can't we? Besides, give him some Bluebell cookies or tickle him for two minutes and he'll fold like an origami crane." Lola explained. "Trust me. I speak from experience. It takes enough effort from us to keep Leni from spilling the beans as it stands…" Sibella frowned at her a little, clearly not liking her answer.

"I still think Lincoln should have some input regarding this." She said, calmly and fairly. "He loves all of you as much as you love him, and he would no doubt want to be involved in such a special day for his special sisters. Wouldn't you agree?" Lola looked down at the floor, rubbing her arm a bit.

"...I guess…" She replied, clearly feeling pretty guilty. "I'll talk to the others and we'll work something out." Sibella smiled and patted her on the head.

"Thatta girl." She scrolled down some more and blinked as she saw several documents dedicated to Lincoln, four at least. "What the...why are there so many wedding plans for your brother?"

"Oh, we were just covering our bases. You see, we all thought Linky and Ronnie Anne were made for each other, but after her family moved and he started showing interest in Stella, we-" Lola covered her mouth, realizing blabbing about her brother's love life like that, especially to one of his girlfriends, wasn't the thing to do. However, Sibella just chuckled.

"Relax, sweetie. Lincoln already told me about his past loves and fancies." She explained softly.

"Oh...hehehe. Anyway, the last two were for you and Phantasma." The tiara wearing twin continued. "Between you and me, I thought you were a shoe in." Curious, Sibella reached to tap the one meant for her and Lincoln, but Lola quickly pulled her phone back. "Ah ah ah. No peeking."

"Ah well. Can't blame a girl for being curious, right?" Sibella asked, the two girls laughing together.

* * *

"I do hope this isn't too forward of me, nor an inconvenience for you, Miss Phantom…" Lisa said as she attached a few sensors onto Phanty, who was sitting on a stool with a little smile on her face. "...but the chance to get to understand true ghosts better is one I cannot pass up."

"It's fine, Lisa. Like I said, I don't mind." The spectral gal said, watching was Lisa turned on her equipment and grabbed a notebook.

"Thank you, Miss Phan-"

"Phanty." She corrected the little genius.

"As you wish, Phanty. At any rate, I have a number of questions for you, if you don't mind my asking."

"Go right ahead." She said, but then added just as Lisa opened her mouth. "But I can't really tell you what death is like."

"...I see. I guess you get that question a lot?" The ghostly girl nodded. "Is it some kind of secret?"

"No. It's because I don't know. You see...ghosts are kinda inbetween life and death. I won't know about true death until I cross over." Lisa nodded and took a few notes.

"I see. No more on that, I suppose. Then, perhaps you would enlighten me as to what ghosts are comprised of?"

"Almost entirely ectoplasm." Phantasma answered without missing a beat. "It's what allows us to manifest in the world of the living. It's kind of like our blood."

"Fascinating. But what would happen if you lost your ectoplasm?"

"Nothing, really. I would just get sent to a kind of limbo place until I can regenerate it and return." She explained. "Not that it's lost so easily. Even when ghosts leave some when passing through walls and whatnot, it's only a trace amount."

"Would it be a breach of protocol to ask for a sample?" Lisa inquired. The giggly spirit shook her head, grabbing one of her test tubes and squeezing her pointer finger like a sponge. A couple small dollops of the ghostly slime dripped into the tube. "Thank you. I'll analyze it later." Lisa smiled lightly as she took the glass container and stored it in her specimen fridge. "And continuing on that logic, how is it possible for you to pass through solid objects, yet still manipulate objects as well?"

"Truth be told, I'm not really sure myself." She admitted, giggling as she rubbed the back of her head. "There's a lot I don't really know about being a ghost myself, but I'm learning." Lisa was kinda disappointed to hear that, but shrugged it off.

"You mentioned crossing over...is that when a spirit travels to the afterlife officially?"

"Exactly." Phantasma said with a nod.

"What exactly keeps a spirit from crossing over? Is it a choice, or is it forced?"

"It...depends." The smile faded from Phanty's face. "Some people choose to come back as ghosts, some people with unfinished business are forced to stay in the land of the living, some remain as a punishment." Lisa slowly looked up, pausing in her note taking. "And then there are times when it just happens...like with Daddy and me…"

"You weren't given a choice?" The mini mad genius inquired, a part of her thinking she may not want to know the answer.

"No. When we died, we just...became ghosts. At the time, we thought it was normal, but after we spoke to other ghosts, we learned what happened to us was an anomaly. Most spirits go to some kind of checkpoint between this world and the next, they told us. It's there the souls are judged, then given the option to move on or go back. For some reason, my father and I were..left out." Phantasma was looking down at her go go boots, far from her old, cheerful self. Lisa felt rather bad for the ethereal lass, moving over to her to pat her knee in a kind of comforting manner. "It wasn't all bad, though. I mean, we still got to stay in this wonderful world, and met a lot of great friends, including your brother." Phantasma continued, a small smile returning. "And really, if I had been given the choice, I would have chosen to stay anyway."

"I'm pleased you can see the silver lining of your situation." The four year old intellect said. "And I'm sorry if the question bothered you."

"Awwwww, it's ok, Lisa." Phanty said, picking her up and giving her a hug. "You're too cute to hold a grudge with."

"...please don't call me cute." Lisa dead panned before Phanty put her down.

"Sorry, but you are." She said with a giggle. Lisa simply sighed and went to her computer to check the data she had collected from the sensors on the spirited specter. She hmmmed to herself for a moment as she read the information, then turned to Phantasma.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Phantasma." Lisa said, pulling the devices off the ghost gal.

"Anytime, Lisa. You know, if you like, Miss Grimwood has some books on ghosts. Maybe you could ask her if you could borrow them sometime." Phanty suggested cheerfully. "It's helped me learn so much about being a ghost."

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you." Lisa thanked her again.

"Glad to be of help." Phantasma replied before she phased through the floor, leaving the scientific toddler to review the info she gathered on the ghostly ghoul girl.


	25. Chapter 25: Home For Break part 2

Home for Break 2

Next day, Lincoln and Sibella could be found biking through Royal Woods, Sibella borrowing Leni's bike for this purpose. They were on their way to the hospital to pay a visit to Zanya. Phantasma had opted to go later, since she volunteered to help watch the younger of the siblings so Mr and Mrs Loud could take care of their grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, with Lori, Leni and Luna's help. The young boy and the vampiress came to a stop in front of the hospital, Lincoln locking up their bikes before they went inside. After they signed in at reception (Sibella getting an odd look when she signed her surname of Dracula), they were directed to the room where the zombie girl was currently resting. Inside the room, there were already two people; Chandler, who was sitting by Zanya's bedside, and Cynthia, who was standing in the corner of the room, giving the brown haired boy the stink eye. The moment the door entered, Mrs Talon turned her head swiftly toward them, her eyes twitching. "Who goes there!?"

"It's ok, Mrs Talon. We're friends."

"Sibella? Sorry. Just all kinds of jumpy. Half expect that scum that did this to try and finish the job...so I can atomize him when he tries." Her eyes turn to Lincoln, leering mistrustfully at him. "And you are….?"

"L...Lincoln Loud, ma'am." He replied shakily.

"Oh! You're the son of that nice family who my daughter's staying with." She said, her smile returning and her eyes finally ceasing their twitching. "Sorry again. I didn't mean to startle you.."

"Hehe...don't worry about it…" Lincoln said with a nervous chuckle. He turns his attention to the brown haired boy sitting beside the unconscious ghoul girl. "Hey Chandler.."

"Hey Larry…." Chandler said, not looking back at the white haired Loud.

"Lincoln…."

"Right…" The middle son sighed and moved over with Sibella, to the end of the bed. All was silent for a moment, all eyes on Zanya. The poor girl looked pretty peaceful at this point, no longer in any pain. There was tube going into her mouth, where liquified food could be administered at least once a day to aid in her recovery. Seeing her like this filling Lincoln with a number of intense emotions; prominently anger, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of determination.

'If that creep ever finds Grimwood's...I won't let him do the same to my friends…' He thought to himself, a furious scowl appearing on his face. He was interrupted in his musings when he felt Sibella's soft hand on his cheek. Lincoln turned to look into the sad eyes of his vampiress girlfriend. His anger quickly faded as he put an arm around her, holding her close to him, Sibella giving him a one armed hug in return.

"If I ever find the jerk who did this…" Chandler started up, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Take a number…." Cynthia growled softly.

"At least she is safe now, and she's going to pull through." Sibella said, trying to calm the two. "Let's count our blessings in that respect."

"Yeah...you're right, miss…?" Chandler turned to look at her, and was forced to do a double take. He did not expect to see such a beautiful girl there.

"Dracula. Sibella Dracula." She introduced herself. His jaw dropped.

"Dr...Dracula!? As in….!?"

"Yes. The daughter of Count Dracula." She answered with a small smile. Chandler had no idea how to respond to that, but something seemed to click in his mind seeing the two of them. He pointed between them, not able to find the words.

"Yeah." Lincoln replied to his unasked question. "She's my girlfriend."

"One of them, anyway." Sibella added with a little smirk, the white haired lad blushing quite a bit. This made Zanya's boyfriend's brain crash entirely, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. Sibella couldn't help but giggle at this as she moved over to the window to look outside.

"Dude...are you mad!? Cheating on Dracula's little girl…." Chandler finally asked quietly, looking at Lincoln like he were a dead man walking. Her ears twitched as she turned her head slowly to look at Chandler from the corner of her eye.

"Huh? Wha…? Oh no! It's not like that." Lincoln replied hastily. "You see, Sibella, our friend Phantasma, Ronnie Anne and I-"

"Wait...Ronnie Anne Santiago!? The tough girl who used to go to our school?" He asked in amazement, then smirked. "So you WERE dating..."

"No. But we are now." The white haired boy explained, wiping the teasing smirk from his face. "Like I was trying to say, we're all in a...how did Lisa and Phanty put it? Oh yes. A polyamorous relationship." The popular boy before him just looked at him like he were speaking latin. "It means we're all in a relationship together and we're all alright with it."

"...I never knew that was a thing."

"Me neither, until Phantasma told us all about it."

"Three girls...all ok with all of them dating you. You are one lucky guy." Chandler had to admit.

"I'd say the same for you." Lincoln said with a light smile, Chandler looking kind of confused. "Zanya told me that the two of you were dating last time we hung out." He explained. "I can't say I know her as well as you do, since we've only hung out once and chatted every so often. However, she seemed like a really nice girl."

"Yeah. She certainly is." He agreed, looking back at his unresponsive sweetheart. "And adorable...one of a kind." Tears were starting to fill his eyes, which he was quick to wipe away. He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder and looked up. Lincoln had put a comforting hand on his shoulder, smiling lightly to him. "...thanks La….Lincoln." He said, with a small, grateful smile of his own. "...sorry for giving you such a hard time in the past…"

"Water under the bridge, man…" Things go quiet again for several seconds.

"So...do you have pictures of this Phanty girl?" Chandler asked him. Lincoln nodded and pulled out his phone, starting to share some of the pictures and selfies he had taken at Grimwood's, while his newest friend started to share some of his own pics he and Zanya had taken together. Sibella smiled once more, turning to look out the window once more.

* * *

Back at the Loud House…

"She's around here somewhere…." Lola asked, her back to Lana as the four sets of eyes scanned the living room.

"But where…?" Lana commented with narrowed eyes. The two moved slowly behind the couch, their senses heightened as they kept an eye out for someone. This particular someone had reached through the couch, tapping Lola on the shoulder.

"Not now, Lana...she could strike at any time."

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes you did...You tapped me on the shoulder."

"No I didn't." Just then, Lana felt a tap on her shoulder. "Don't you start…"

"Don't I start what?" Lola inquired, keeping her eyes facing front.

"You tapped my shoulder now."

"Did not!" Lola said in an irritated tone, turning her head slightly.

"Did so!" Lana retorted angrily, turning to face her twin.

"Nuh uh!"

"Yah huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yah huh!"

"I didn't tap you on the shoulder!"

"And I didn't tap you on the shoulder!" The two were practically nose to nose, glaring at one another. It was at this point a realization came to them.

"Uh oh…" They said together as two arms reached through the couch again and scooped them both up. "Aaaah!" They screamed as Phantasma floated into the air carrying the odd couple twins, giggling.

"Hehehe! I gotcha!" She chirped, setting Lola and Lana down on the couch before she proceeded to tickle the both of them. The twins were thrown into immediate hysterics, squirming around on the couch. The sudden attack only lasted a few seconds before the fun loving phantom stopped, grinning at the giggling children before her.

"No fair…" Lola complained as she tried to calm down.

"Two down, one to go." Phantasma said, smiling as she tapped her chin. "Now where would Luan be?" As if on cue, a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who!?" Luan declared from right behind her. Phantasma turned quickly, with the intent of grabbing the teenaged joker...only to find she wasn't there. Instead, it was Lucy, holding two fake hands on sticks and a tape recorder taped to the front of her dress.

"...she paid me a dollar for this." She admitted. The confused spirit blinked, looking closer at the recorder. This turned out to be a mistake, because when she did, a net shot from a secret compartment within it, causing Phanty to get launched over the couch and wrapped up in the net.

"Well, looks like that's a wrap! Hahahaha!" Luan joked, stepping out from inside the fireplace, brushing some soot from her skirt. She was looking a little smug at first, but her grin was lost when Phantasma simply phased through the net, arms crossed with a 'you were saying?' expression on her face. "...well played." The prankster commented simply before bolting for the kitchen.

"Oh no you don't!" The playful phantom cried before giving chase.

Meanwhile, in the dining room and out of the line of fire, Ronnie Anne was playing with Lily, the infant giggling and clapping at the game of patty cake. She had decided it was safer there, since the others were playing kinda rough in the next room. Just then, Luan came running by, followed closely by Phantasma, both zooming by into the living room. RA blinked as she and Lily turned their heads to see them run by again, and again. "Just another day in the Loud House, huh?" Ronnie commented as her head followed the two as they kept running past. Lily babbled a bit, but nodded, also tracking their movements. At one point, it was just Luan dashing along, the ghostly girl no longer on her tail. The goofing teen realized this after a few seconds and skidded to a stop halfway back to the living room. She looked back, then forward, pulling a pie from seemingly nowhere. She started to creep across the room, with Phanty passing through the wall right behind her, sneaking up behind her. "Heh. Luan's gonna get it now." Ronnie Anne whispered.

"Nuh uh. Oooann win." The baby Loud whispered back.

"You really think so?" The latina asked, looking at her. "You wanna back that up?" She jested with a smirk. To her surprise, Lily simply nodded, pulling a dollar from behind her back and placing it on the table between them. "...wha...how….who…?" Ronnie Anne asked, utterly mystified. The infant merely shrugged, then pointed at the dollar again. She thought about it for a moment, then whispered. "...this never happened." Before adding a dollar to the pile. The two returned their attention to Luan and Phantasma. The comedianne slowly peeked around the corner, her ectoplasmic opponent practically breathing down her neck. RA grinned a bit, thinking her victory was assured as Phanty looked ready to strike. However, before she could, the pie in Luan's hand suddenly turned and went right into her face. Phantasma floated back in surprise, reaching for the pie pan. The family joker turned and took her chance, tickling the phantom gal while she was distracted.

"Nice try, Phanty, but pie am the Clown Princess." Luan quiped with a giggle as Phanty wriggled around in the air, laughing into the mess of pie on her face.. "I know ALL the tricks." Ronnie Anne just stood there, her mouth hanging open as Lily picked up the two dollars with a smirk of her own. Luan eventually stopped and walked over to Lily, picking the baby up and taking her into the kitchen, the infant grinning at Ronnie Anne as she was taken away.

"...did I just get hustled by a baby?" She asked in astonishment, Phanty cleaning the pie from her face.

* * *

Sometime later, into the evening, everyone was relaxing after a hearty meal from Lynn Sr. In Luna and Luan's room, most of the kids were just hanging out while Lincoln played the stand up bass: Sibella and Lori were in one corner, doing each other's toe nails while giggling and chatting, Lynn and Ronnie Anne were chilling in the corner opposite, and Luna, Phanty and Lucy were sitting near Lincoln, listening as he played. "Wow. You are pretty good on that bass." Phantasma commented with a smile.

"You been practicing, bro?" Luna asked, laying down on her front as she turned to look at her brother.

"Not that much, but I've had a few chances to play for Gila and Tanis at Grimwood's." Lincoln said.

"I must say, Lori…" Sibella started to say. "...I am very glad we got the opportunity to get to know you all better."

"We're all literally so thrilled you and Phanty came to visit us." Lori replied with a big smile.

"Yeah. It's always a kick meeting Lincoln's girlfriend...er...girlfriends. That's gonna take a bit of getting use to.." Lynn said, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's fine, Lynn. We know it's kind of an out of the box thing." Phanty commented, spinning her head around to look at her.

"And if there's one thing Lincoln is known for, it's out of the box thinking." Lucy piped up, quietly.

"True that. Remember that time they had that business event at his school?" Luna asked, Lincoln's cheeks flushing a little.

"Oh yeah! When Lincoln decided to be the Girl Guru." Lori interjected, giggling.

"Girl Guru?" Ronnie Anne inquired, grinning. "Oh, this I gotta hear."

"Come on...don't tell them-" Lincoln started to plead.

"Living among girls all the time, Lincoln thought he knew about all girls." Lucy explained to Lincoln's girlfriends, not hearing his request for their silence.

"And thus, he used his experiences with us to advise his fellow classmates about girls." Lynn added.

"That actually sounds somewhat logical." Sibella commented, raising an eyebrow.

"He suggested that one guy give a girl a dutch oven to win her over." Upon hearing that, Ronnie Anne and Phantasma both burst out laughing, while Sibella was trying (and failing) not to giggle, Lincoln covering his face as he turned all red.

"I take it back." The vampiress amended, her mouth covered by her hands. The one son groaned, utterly embarrassed.

"Oh! What about when Lincoln thought the way to impress Stella when they first met was to dress like he just came from 'Happy Daze'?" Luna pointed out, getting some more laughs and giggles from Lincoln's girlfriends. Lucy looked over at Lincoln, noticing his intense embarrassment, and decided perhaps it was time to shift the focus a little.

"He isn't the only one who thought that was a good idea." She said, getting everyone's attention. "When I first met Rusty...I wanted to get his attention, thus I asked my sisters for help."

"How did that go for you?" Phanty asked with interest.

"Imagine me as a cheerleader…" She said quietly. This made Ronnie Anne and Phantasma snicker a little, and in spite of himself, even Lincoln chuckled a little.

"Sorry, but I really can't imagine you in a cheerleader outfit." Sibella said. Lucy smiled, taking that as a compliment.

"She did look adorable though." Lori commented, pulling up the picture on her phone.

"Wait...you saved that?" It was then Lucy realized that errors were made. Her oldest sister turned her phone to show everyone present Lucy in the various outfits they tried on her. Lucy looked away, turning very pink in the face.

"Awwww. She does look adorable." Phantasma said, chortling sweetly.

"It didn't work...but it turned out he really liked me the way I was." Lucy commented shyly.

"I'm glad it went well for you." Sibella said as she finished the second coat on Lori's toe nail polish. "How about you, Luna? Did you ever do something like that?"

"Me? Nah man. I was true to my heart, and myself with Sam...but I did almost make a big mistake for the sake of my dream…" Luna sighed a bit as all eyes turned to her, the third born sister sitting up and turning to face them. "I had submitted a song to a music competition, but it wasn't me...it was cookie cutter bubblegum pop song. Not that I'm hatin' on that kinda music. I like it too. But it wasn't me. Anyway, they picked my song, but when I showed up, they said I didn't fit the image they saw of me."

"Pfft. Bunch of idiots." Ronnie Anne said with a roll of her eyes.

"My thought exactly now. Anyway, they were willing to give me a chance...provided I change everything about myself to suit the 'image' they wanted me to have."

"Was it really that bad?" Phantasma inquired curiously. In answer, Luna showed them a picture of her 'Lulu' persona, cringing and closing her eyes. "Ack!"

"Now that is scary…" Sibella commented before she could stop herself. "Oh...sorry, Luna."

"It's cool, Sib. It scared me too." Luna confessed. "Especially when they wanted me to play the equivalent of a 'Guitar Lord' controller and lip synch." She shuddered in disgust. "Thank goodness I came to my senses. I got disqualified from the competition for losing Lulu, but Luna Loud had her chance to rock again. Almost became my biggest regret."

"Well, since everyone else is sharing...what about you, Lori?" Ronnie piped up, turning the attention to the eldest Loud sister, who wasn't ready for the sudden shift.

"Who...me?" Lori asked nervously.

"Yeah, you." She reiterated with a grin. "I mean, Lincoln and Lucy had their turns (which you were all too happy to help with) and Luna volunteered, so why not?" Lincoln and his gothic sister both smirked to one another, before looking back to their older sister. Lori was sweating a little.

"Come on, Lori. If you can't think of an embarrassing story, maybe I can help…" Lynn said with a very Luan like grin.

"No! No...that's not necessary…" Lori said, waving her hands at her younger, more athletic sister. No getting out of it, she thought. "I...I have a regret story of my own. For a long while, I was the only one to have a driver's license, other than Mom and Dad, of course. This meant if the others needed a ride, they needed to ask me. I...kinda took advantage of that."

"You had us serve you hand and foot just for a lift." Luna corrected her sourly.

"...anyway…" Lori continued, pretty annoyed at getting interrupted. "...Lincoln decided it was a good idea to teach Leni to pass her driving test...and I admit in hindsight, it wasn't a bad idea."

"Thank you." Lincoln interjected.

"It almost looked like he would have succeeded too...and I didn't like that...so I sabotaged their attempt by having her listen to blatantly wrong driving advice all night…"

"How blatantly wrong….?" Phanty asked apprehensively.

"...Leni could have hurt someone, or herself, with that advice…" Lori confessed, looking down at the floor. Sibella gasped, while Ronnie Anne's jaw dropped. "I know...I know...it was incredibly stupid and selfish of me...thank goodness no was hurt, though she still failed…."

"Wow...no offense, Lori, but that was a terrible thing to do." Phantasma said, shaking her head.

"Oh, trust me...if you thought that was bad...that was nothing…" Lynn Jr said, starting to look really down now, as if her boyfriend broke up with her or something.

"What do you mean?" Sibella asked with a tilted head.

"What if I told you that I was responsible for doing something to my brother that EVERYONE in this house deeply regrets…?" When she said that, RA and the Grimwood Girls looked at one another, wondering what she meant, while the other Loud sisters looked uncomfortable and saddened. Lincoln, on the other hand, felt a stab of alarm. He knew what she was about to say. "You see, nearly a year ago, I-"

"Lynn!" Lincoln yelled, causing all the girls in the room to jump, cutting off his older sister. "We all agreed to never speak of that again…"

"But-"

"No buts." He said, setting the instrument aside and walking over to Lynn. "I've already forgiven you for it." He said softly, kneeling beside you. "All of you."

"But, we-" She started to say, but Lincoln stopped her again.

"It's ok, Lynn. Really. It's all in the past. Let it stay there, ok?" The pony tailed teen slowly looked up at him. "You messed up, yes. We all messed up. But you've taken steps to correct what brought it on, and you've come quite a ways." The two keep sharing a look for a few seconds before Lynn hugged him tightly.

"You're too nice, Linc...ya know that?" She whispered to him.

"So I've heard." He whispered in return.

"...WHAT exactly are we missing?" Ronnie Anne asked, dying to know after Lynn hyped the story up.

"Sorry, RA, but like the little man said. We all said we'd never speak of it again." Luna said with a shrug, looking relieved. The latina didn't like that answer, but judging by the looks of the Loud siblings and how adamant Lincoln was regarding the event, they weren't going to be getting any better answers any time soon. Before Sibella and Phantasma could ask any further questions, Lucy piped in to change the subject.

* * *

The next morning, Lincoln met with his older, tougher sister in the backyard, where she was preparing for another day of training. She wasn't alone either; Leni was on standby, as was Lana, both watching as Lynn set up a sandbag dummy. "Ah, there you are, tough guy." She said with a smirk, looking over at her only brother. "So, yesterday, we went over the basic techniques. Today, we'll go over how to put the basic moves together fluidly, plus a few tips and techniques from Leni and Lana." She explained, jabbing a thumb toward the older and younger sister. Lincoln nodded as Lana wrapped his hands in boxing tape.

"Right then. Let's get started." He said, clenching his fists to test the tape. "Thanks Lana."

"Anytime, Linc." The cap wearing twin replied, skittering back beside Leni.

"Like that spirit, little bro." Lynn commented with a grin before she turned to face the training dummy. "I've shown you the basic punches and kicks, but those alone aren't gonna do much. So what you need to do is string them together into a combo. Watch me now." She adopts a fighting stancing, bouncing slightly on her toes as she considered her inanimate opponent. After a few seconds, she lunges, delivering a right hand jab, into a hit with her right elbow, and finally a swift roundhouse kick. "Keep up the offensive, and you won't have to worry too much about defense. But you need to combo the right moves, or you're just wasting energy and giving your opponent openings to fight back." She explained, demonstrating her point with a right jab, followed by a left high kick. "The idea is to make your attacks flow nicely."

"I….think I understand." Lincoln said, rubbing his chin.

"Good. Give it a try." Lynn stepped aside to let him step up to the training dummy. Lincoln took a deep breath and moved to a simple stance, looking like a boxer. He throws a few simple left right jabs as a warm up, before going into a one two three combo. The athletic sister slowly shook her head a little. "Hold up, bro." She finally said, stepping in to stop him. "The old one two is classic, but very limited and predictable. You can't be predictable." She explained. "Don't just punch: throw a kick, use your knees or elbows, head butt him, whatever, as long as it doesn't throw off your flow." Her brother nodded as he returned to his focus to the stuffed target. He starts to throw a combination of punches, kicks, back hands and knee blows, slowly at first so he could get used to the motions. Lynn seemed pleased with what she was witnessing, offering him some pointers in the meantime. After a minute or two, she encouraged him to speed up, which he tried to do. However, he was not an experienced fighter and his movements quickly became sloppy and ineffective. "Ok...ok. Stop. Stop." Lynn groaned, covering her eyes as she shook her head.

"That bad?" Lincoln asked her.

"Put nicely...positively embarrassing." She answered, crossing her arms in front of her. "But no one becomes an invincible martial artist in a day, week, or even a year. Guess we'll just stick to slow movements for now, until those motions become second nature to you." She directed him to start practicing again, moving at his own pace again. He did certainly seemed to be getting the idea, his attacks flowing better and better the longer he practiced. After about an hour (with a few water and bathroom breaks sprinkled in), she stopped him with a smile, patting him on the back.

"So far, so good, Linc." She told him. "When you practice on your own, steadily increase how quickly you execute your combos and you'll be golden."

"Thanks...Lynn." The one brother replied, catching his breath.

"While you take a rest, I'll let Leni take over for the next demonstration." She turned to face her fashionista sister. "Leni, do your stuff."

"Ok!" Leni chirped, moving in front of the bag smiling. As soon as she got there, she paused, looking to Lynn. "...but what'd he ever do to me?" She asked, pointing to the dummy. Lynn sighed, but she was prepared for this. She leaned in and whispered into Leni's ear. She gasped, then glared at the dummy, her face red and her eyes almost literal fire.

"How dare you hurt our Linky!" She screamed, grabbing the burlap target by the head and judo throwing it clear across the yard. Lincoln's jaw dropped as Lynn laughed.

"Nice one, Leni. I think you broke your old record." She commented, before noticing Leni was rolling up her non existent sleeves as she stormed toward the fallen dummy. Clearly, she wasn't done with it yet. Lynn was forced to intervene. "Whoa. Cool down, Leni. It was just an example...for pretend."

"It was?" Leni asked, her anger fading in an instant. "Ooooh...does that mean I owe him an apology?" She inquired, pointing to the sack of sand.

"...don't worry about it." The exasperated little sensei said with a sigh. "Anyway, Lincoln, as you saw, Leni is no slouch when it comes to judo. In fact, she's dang good."

"Awwww, it's nothing, really." Leni said with a giggle. "A girl's gotta know how to defend herself, after all."

"Ok, Leni. How about you show him how it's done?" The fashion loving teen nodded and walks over to the target and picking it back up. She starts to explain to her younger brother how a standard throw worked, moving nice and slow so he could see every motion. The sporty sister watched with interest as Leni showed him the throw again, a little faster. After that, she let Lincoln try, and try he did. He managed to get the dummy up and onto his back, but then the weight of the burlap sandman caused Lincoln to collapse.

"Hahahaha!" Lynn cackled, slapping her knee. "Sorry, bro, but that was pretty hysterical."

"Ugh….this thing is heavy…" The white haired boy groaned as he tried to push the dummy off. "How did you throw this thing?"

"Well, the idea is to use your opponent's own weight, strength and momentum against them." Leni elaborated, helping her brother up. "Why don't you give it another try?" Lincoln nods as they reset the dummy and he tries to throw it again….and again, and again, and again. However, each time, all he succeeded in doing was getting sandwiched between the sandbag and the dirt.

"Well, points for trying, bro." Lynn commented as she helped him up with Leni.

"You just need to practice more, Linky." Leni said encouragingly, tenderly patting his shoulder.

"Yeah. Given a little time, you'll get the hang of it." Lana interjected with a smile as the fifth oldest sister replaced the target.

"Ok, Lana. You're up." Lynn called out, the tomboy twin grinning as she ran forward and Leni moved aside.

"Alright, Linc." She said, putting her thumbs under the straps of her overalls. "As any handyperson can tell you, you gotta be ready to improvise. And in a fight, anything can be used to defend yourself. Observe." Lana sudden draws a plunger from her overalls, then lept at the dummy and smacked it across the face, rolled under its legs, and hurled it at the back of its featureless head. She then grabbed a branch and smacked it in the back of the legs. "Don't be afraid to get creative, and aim for their weapon hand, their shins and back of the legs."

"Good advice, Lana." Lynn commented with a nod. "Disarm and immobilize."

"Right. And when I say anything, I mean ANYTHING! Throw a vase, toss a curtain or rug over their face, grab a broom or mop and clean their clock. That kind of stuff." Lana explained, reclaiming her favorite plunger.

"Alright. I think I get it." Lincoln replied with a nod.

"I thought you'd pick up the idea pretty quick." Lynn said with a smile, Leni heading back inside with Lana. "I'll leave the dummy up so you can practice whenever you like. In the meantime, why don't you take a little break?"

"Maybe...think I'll just hang out here for a bit longer." Lincoln said, taking a seat on the back stoop with a water bottle. His sporty sister nodded and went inside with the others. Lincoln glanced back for a moment, waited a few minutes after taking a few drinks of water, then returned to the dummy. There, he proceeded to practice his punches, kicks and combos again, for another half hour.

* * *

 _AN: A few people have asked in the past in the review section about NSL and how certain characters would react to it. Well, the passing mention I make here in this chapter is ALL I plan to say about it in story; here and in the rest of my stories. I may strongly dislike the episode, but it has been so thoroughly bashed that I have nothing new to say about it, except that it could be salvaged._


	26. Chapter 26: Home For Break part 3

_AN: Yeah, it's really short, but I ran out of ideas as to what to add. Also, having some trouble with figuring out what to do with the Calloway Cadets at New Calloway, (apart from introducing new cadets and teachers, I mean) so that may take a while. If the chapter gives me too much grief, however, I can always continue the main story, upload the New Calloway chapter and move it to it's proper place in the timeline, right? Anyway, enjoy the story._

* * *

Home for Break part 3

Finally, the day had come. Thanksgiving day. And as with any holiday at the Loud House, the house was jumping with activity. Lynn Sr and Rita were both in the kitchen, working on dinner, while the Loud siblings were all doing their part to get the house ready. Even the Grimwood Girls, Ronnie Anne and Bobby did their part to help (in spite of Mr and Mrs Loud telling them it was unnecessary). Phanty was helping Luna, Luan and Lola with the decorations, Lori, Leni, Bobby, and Lana worked on preparing the family skit with Lily, and Ronnie Anne was helping Lincoln, Sibella, Lynn, Lucy and Lisa set the table. "I've been meaning to ask…" Sibella suddenly said, after she and Lincoln laid the tablecloth. "...what is this Thanksgiving celebration all about?"

"Your family doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving?" Lincoln inquired curiously.

"No. I was born and raised in Transylvania." Sibella explained. "And while we observe the holiday at Grimwood's, we don't really celebrate it."

"It's a celebration that came about during the infancy of the United States." Lisa piped up. "A great feast held by the settlers of the original colonies and the natives who aided them in their survival, where they, as the name suggested, gave thanks for the bounty of the new land and their new allies." She explained, placing silverware on the table. "At least, that is what the history books supposedly say."

"I see. And how is it usually celebrated?" Sibella asked curiously.

"It varies, since everyone has their own traditions, but it usually involves the getting together of family, friends and loved ones." Lincoln explained.

"And food. Lots of food." Lynn butted in, turning the carrying of plates into a game before placing them on the table.

"Nice moves, Lynn." Ronnie Anne complimented as she started setting up drinking glasses.

"Thanks, but you haven't seen anything yet." The sporty sister grinned, about to pull a trick with the last plate.

"Don't even think about it!" Rita shouted from the kitchen.

"Eep! Game called on account of Mom." Lynn said nervously, simply setting the plate down in its place. Lincoln, Sibella, and Ronnie Anne all laughed a little, when Lucy came in to set up some extra chairs.

"So how does your family celebrate the holidays?" Sibella questioned, looking at her human love.

"Well, as you can see…" He gestures toward the living room, where Phanty had just set up a garland of hand turkeys. "We get our house all set up for the holiday, including hanging all the turkeys each of us made ourselves."

"And right before dinner, we have a little skit we perform every year." Lucy continued, moving over beside them. "It's really cute….so I personally don't much care for it."

"And then comes Dad's feast." Lynn licked her lips as she thought about it. "He pulls out all the stops on the holidays. Go in and have a look. It's a sight to behold." She led Sibella over to the door to the kitchen, showing their parents moving around the kitchen like busy bees; mashing potatoes, stirring gravy, steaming vegetables, etc. Even though they were used to making such meals for so many, and the kids were helping whereever they could, but they were still showing signs of incredible stress.

"Um. Do you need some help, Mr and Mrs Loud?" She asked, stepping into the kitchen.

"Oh! No, no! We've got it!" Lynn Sr said, with a smile that didn't match his stressed movements. "No need to trouble yourself."

"It's no trouble at all." She responded with a smile, motioning an apron over to her, which floated over and wrapped itself around her. "Just tell me what you need."

"Well...we still need to get the sweet potatoes ready, and get the cranberries into the pressure cooker…" Rita told her as she checked on the steaming carrots and corn cobs. The vampiress nodded. She was no master chef, but she had learned a few tricks from Miss Grimwood in Home Ec. She moved over to the counter where the yams were, starting to peel the skin off while levitating the berries into the pressure cooker. She sliced up the sweet potatoes and arranged them into the pan as Lynn Sr zipped over to glaze them and top them each with a marshmallow before tossing it into the oven. Dracula's daughter remained to keep helping them with her magic and an extra pair of hands, pulling some of the pressure off of them.

"Thank you so much, Sibella." A panting Lynn Sr said with an appreciative smile after around an hour of work. The food was all either finished or cooking, and the two Loud parents had a chance to rest.

"You're very welcome, Mr Loud." Sibella replied with a smile, untying her apron.

"There you are." Came the voice of Leni from the living room entrance. "Come on, Sibella. The skit is about to begin." She said, taking the ghoul girl by the hand and pulling her into the living room. Ronnie Anne, Bobby and Phantasma were already seated on the couch, with no sign of the Loud children, and a makeshift stage set up in the middle of the room. Leni sat the vampiress down and hurried behind the curtain.

"...are they all behind that curtain?" Sibella whispered to Ronnie Anne as the Loud kids got ready. The latina nodded. The ghoul girl with the fluffy hair just looked at the stage, trying to figure out how they all got in there. Mr and Mrs Loud soon joined them on the couch as Lincoln stepped out in a little suit to announce the skit: the Trial of the Cutest Turkey. The one son opened the curtain, revealing most of the sisters in a cardboard jury box, Lynn Jr dressed as a bailiff as she announced the arrival of Judge Lori, with Lily in a little turkey suit. Sibella and Phanty just watched in bewilderment, uncertain what to make of this. Ronnie Anne had seen this skit before, so she wasn't quite as lost as the Grimwood Girls (except for the question of 'why?'), while Bobby hung on Lori's every line. Lynn Sr and Rita both smiled as they watch their children go on with the play trial. When Judge Lori (eventually) declared Turkey Lily guilty...of being the most adorable turkey ever. Their parents, Bobby, and even Phantasma all went "Aaaaaaaaaaaw!" at the precious little infant. Sibella and RA both looked at Phanty, who met their gaze and frowned.

"Come on. Tell me that's not absolutely precious.." She said, gesturing to the wide eyed, cooing baby.

"...ok, you got us there." Ronnie Anne replied, unable to stop herself from smiling at the sight, the vampiress nodding in agreement. Their small audience gave them a round of applause as they all took a bow. With the play over, the family and their guests adjourned to the dining room, except for the parents, Lori and Bobby. Once everyone was seated, with Sibella and Ronnie Anne sitting by Lincoln, and Phantasma sitting between Lynn and Luna, the four of them started to bring out the massive spread that was Lynn Sr's Thanksgiving dinner. Phanty and Sibella could hardly believe their eyes at what they saw; enough food to feed an army, complete with a monster sized turkey which looked like it had several other birds stuck into it.

"Whoa. What is that?" Phantasma asked in amazement.

"Ever hear of a tur-duc-hen?" Lynn Sr inquired with a proud smile. "Well, I took it one step further by adding a squab and a pheasant to the mix. It call it a tu-du-phe-hen-uab."

"Wow! You're like the culinary equivalent of Dr Frankenstein." The spirited ghost gal commented, meaning it as a compliment.

"Well, I am 'mad' about culinary science." The Loud patriarch jested, getting a laugh from Luan, Sibella and Phantasma, before he gave a mad scientist laugh of his own, complete with a clap of thunder. He suddenly stopped laughing, his eyes darting back and forth after the sound of thunder before he say back down hastily, muttering. "I'm not doing that again…" Which got a hearty laugh from everyone present. With the birds carved and food served to everyone, everyone started to chat with their nearest neighbor between bites of food. Lynn Sr and Rita were talking to Lori and Bobby, discussing their future plans, Luan, Ronnie Anne and Phantasma talking about pranks they had pulled before, Lucy and Sibella discussing magic, Luna talking to Lisa about setting up some new effects for her next concert, Lola and Lana were arguing (for a change), and Lily was babbling as she ate mashed potatoes. Lincoln smiled as he more listened and enjoyed his dinner. He reached down to pick up his fork, not noticing how close it was to his knife. The blade nicked his finger, making the one son wince.

"Ouch."

"Lincoln? Are you alright?" Sibella asked, turning to look at Lincoln, along with Ronnie Anne and Lucy. No one else had really heard him.

"Yeah...my knife got me." He replied, waving his finger a bit. "Doesn't look bad though."

"Oh dear. Here. Let me make it better." The vampiress gently took his hand and leaned in to kiss his minor wound. What she didn't see was a tiny drop of blood starting to form on his finger. She lovingly kissed his finger, the blood getting into her mouth. It was just a speck, but the moment it touched her tongue, she froze in place.

"Heh. Thanks Sibella." He said with a chuckle, with a smile that faded in when he saw her pupils dilate. She looks back at his cut, Lincoln also looking, noticing it was barely bleeding. The daughter of Dracula grinned hungrily, her fangs looking a bit longer. "Sibella…?" He asked shakily, which snapped Sibella out of whatever trance she was in. She looked a little confused for a moment, then she saw the spot of blood. She gasped, letting go of his hand. This got everyone's attention, the dining room going completely silent.

"...would you please excuse me a moment?" The vampiress requested calmly.

"Of course, Sibella." Rita replied with concern, watching as the vampiress carefully made her way around the table and calmly left the room dining room. She waited until she was out of sight before she ran upstairs to the bathroom. Lincoln, feeling something was up, excused himself from the table for a moment, then headed up after her. Sibella was standing in front of the sink, splashing herself in the face with water.

"Sibella...get a grip on yourself." She told herself, nearing a state of panic that Lincoln had never seen on her before.

"Sibella..." The vampiress jumped, looking out into the hall, where her worried boyfriend stood. "Are you alright?"

"Yes...no…" She responded, looking uncertain as she gazed at the carpet rather than at him. The comic book collector slowly stepped closer to her.

"What's wrong?" He asked her softly.

"...I tasted your blood." Sibella admitted quietly, looking at him with tears in her eyes. Lincoln was confused; what was so wrong with her tasting his blood? She could tell how perplexed he was, so she continued. "...I know it doesn't sound so bad...but as a young vampire, especially one who doesn't need to drink it to survive, tasting blood can be dangerous. At least, to those around me."

"What do you mean?"

"When a young vampire tastes blood, it drives them wild...Daddy says it's a kind of frenzy. It empowers the vampire, sure, but...it turns them into literal monsters. Wild, blood thirsty, and with very little restraint…and that almost happened down there. I would have attacked you, possibly your family and the Santiagos too..."

"But you didn't." Lincoln told her, gently taking her hands in his. "You were able to keep yourself from losing it."

"Yes, but that was because you snapped me out of it before I could…" She responded sadly. Before she could say anything further, Lincoln put his non injured finger to her lips.

"Ssshhh. It's ok Sibella." Lincoln told her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Even I had no idea that I was bleeding from the equivalent of a paper cut. And nothing ended up happening, so don't worry about it, ok?" The vampiress slowly looked him in the eyes, smiling softly behind his finger. She kissed his finger before giving him a hug.

"Come on. Let's take care of that finger, so it doesn't cause either of us any more problems." The lavender skinned gal said, taking Lincoln by the hand and taking him into the bathroom to clean, disinfect and wrap the cut in a bandaid. Once his injury was taken care of, the two of them returned to the dining room. Mr and Mrs Loud considered asking her children if everything was ok, but seeing how calm and happy they looked, they thought they were fine. Besides, though they didn't know it, Ronnie Anne took care of that for them.

"You two ok? What happened?" She whispered. Sibella fielded the question, quietly explaining what had just happened to the latina. She looked kind of horrified at first, but Lincoln stepped in to calm her down, explaining that it was alright. Ronnie Anne looked between the two of them, nodding lightly. Thankfully the rest of Thanksgiving dinner was peaceful and uneventful, except for Lily tossing a sweet potato clear over the table (which was luckily intercepted by Lynn before it could splatter on the wall).

With dinner over, Luna, Luan, Lana and Lucy went to take care of the dishes, while Lynn Sr and Rita went to go relax. Phanty, despite not eating much (she didn't really need to eat much. She simply took a little of everything), was feeling pretty tired. She floated her way into the living room, where she spotted Lincoln already fast asleep on the couch, like every Thanksgiving. She looked at him and burst out giggling. Then, an idea struck her. She grinned and hovered over to him. As soon as she got over to him, Sibella had strode into the room, seeing the ghost girl leaning over Lincoln.

"Phanty...come on, let him-" She started to say, until she saw her spectral friend lay down on top of him, her head resting on his slightly extended stomach. She shook her head slightly to make herself comfy, getting some chuckles from the sleepy boy. The vampiress blinked as she saw Phantasma close her eyes, taking a nap along with him. "...actually, she has the right idea." Sibella had to admit with a smile. She moved over to them, her eyes scanning the couch as she planned how she was going to do this. With a wave of her hand, the couch extended slightly, giving the Grimwood girl room to slide in between Lincoln and the back of the couch. She giggled softly as she cuddled close to the sleeping son. Before she closed her eyes, she spotted Ronnie Anne looking at the three of them on the couch, a bit saddened there was no room for her. Sibella gave her a warm smile and gave her hand a little wave, the front of the couch expanding. The city girl gave a grateful smile in return before she silently laid down on Lincoln's other side, putting an arm around him as she drifted off into a light sleep.


	27. Chapter 27: Pen Pals

_AN: Hoo boy. Not gonna lie; almost gave up entirely on this chapter. It took me a long time to figure out what to do with some of the cadets in even the brief stories I wrote of them, and after Jamal's letter, I was just getting tired and left Tug's segment as just a letter. Maybe later, I'll add his own bit or make up for it by giving him his own chapter later down the road along with Mel (whom I forgot entirely, but didn't want to go back and try and write it in as this chapter was freaking long as it is). Still, I think I did decently well with it, and we're getting closer to the final encounter._

 _Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions for how I could work with the Calloway Cadet's for this chapter. Also, in response to your question, Gamelover, by the end of the Loudest Thanksgiving, it was decided that Lori and Bobby would take turns spending Thanksgiving with each family, not the familes would all meet up for Thanksgiving every year (at least, that's what interpreted). I know that, canonically, the Louds had it last time, but considering we've had three April Fools Days and Lincoln is still eleven, I think time doesn't quite work the same way here._

* * *

Pen Pals

The saturday morning after Thanksgiving concluded, it was time for Lincoln and the Grimwood Girls to return to the school, as well as for Ronnie Anne and Bobby to head back home. RA gave Lincoln a big hug and said goodbye to Phanty and Sibella, while Bobby gave Lori a tearful (as well as over dramatic) farewell. Once they had departed, it was time for Lincoln to say his goodbyes. "It was great seeing you all again." He said, all twelve members of his family going in to give him a big hug.

"It was wonderful seeing you again too, son." Lynn Sr said.

"Hope you come back again soon, Linky." Leni commented as they all separated for the massive hug.

"I'll see what I can do. See you all later."

"Bye Lincoln. Bye Girls." Lori called out.

"See you around, and play it safe, young soul." Luna said to him.

"Be safe bro. And keep up your training." Lynn said, giving her brother a playful punch.

"Bye Bye, Lincoln!" The twins both yelled together.

"Farewell, elder brother. Keep us posted on goings on at Grimwoods." Lisa said, readjusting her glasses (as they were knocked off kilter in the group hug).

"Spirits protect you all." Lucy commented, waving to them.

"So long, bro. Have a 'magical' trip." Luan quipped, giggling.

"Have a safe trip back, Lincoln. See you in a few days." Rita told him, making him blush as he remembered that his mother would be coming to Grimwood's soon to watch them.

"Farewell, Loud Family. It was fang-tastic to see you all." Sibella said to them.

"See you all soon!" Phantasma chirped, with the ghost, vampire, and young man placing their hands on the teleportation sphere in the living room. They all waved to one another as the three vanished.

* * *

They returned seconds later in Lincoln's room, the one son rubbing his arms as a wave of goosebumps came over him. "Will that ever stop?" He asked Sibella.

"Hehehe. Yes, Lincoln. It will eventually cease." The vampiress replied, gently patting him on the cheek.

"It's good to be back again!" Phanty said, stretching a little. "Royal Woods was awesome, but nothing quite beats good ol Grimwood."

"I hope we didn't miss much." Lincoln commented as the feeling faded.

"Let's find out." Sibella said, taking the white haired boy by the hand as they all headed downstairs to the entry hall. To their surprise, their classmates were all there with Shaggy. By the look of it, they were doing martial arts drills (probably because the gym tower didn't have enough room to practice). As the three of them climbed down the stairs, the scruffy haired man looked up and smiled at them.

"Like, welcome back." He called out, bringing the attention of the other monster girls to their arriving friends. They immediately paused their drills to go and greet them (except Milly, who simply gave a little wave while trying not to look like she cared), Tanis nearly knocking Lincoln off his feet when she jumped into him and hugged him.

"Hahaha. It's great to see you all again." Lincoln said, hugging the little mummy with one arm, and shaking Winnie's hand with the other. Phanty was also giving hugs to all of her friends, while Sibella and Elsa were talking about what went on in Royal Woods and at school.

"So, I noticed you were all doing some martial arts." Sibella brought up with a smile.

"Yeah, well, once break started, Shaggy and Scrappy started to show us a few techniques." Elsa replied with a nod.

"I didn't know you practiced, Shaggy." The human boy said, looking to the potential hippy.

"Well, I'm no black belt, but Scoob and I picked up a few things from our times meeting with the caped crusader." He explained, somewhat proudly.

"Caped Crusader? You mean, Batman!?" Lincoln asked in utter amazement.

"Yup. The gang and I met him and Robin a couple times in our career. Even got to see the Bat-Cave once." Shaggy continued with a chuckle.

* * *

 _AN: Side note before anyone asks: No, Batman will not be making any appearances in the future._

* * *

"Lucky dog…" A jealous Lincoln muttered.

"Lincoln's been practicing too, while we were away." Phantasma interjected. "Getting trained by his sister Lynn."

"I can tell." Winnie said, gently squeezing his arm to test the muscles. "It's slight, but it's there."

"I just want to be ready...just in case." The one son explained.

"Great minds think alike." Shaggy said with a smile. At this moment, the helping hand floated over, carrying a tray of letters over to the students.

"Hmmm? What's this?" Suki asked, taking the letter from the top of the stack. "Hey! It's for us, from the Calloway Cadets." She exclaimed. The girls all swarmed around the tray, except for Tanis and Sibella and Milly. Gila was the first to open one of the envelopes, opening the paper inside.

"This one is from Baxter." She said as she started reading out loud, everyone leaning in to read with her. "Dear friends from Grimwood; Sorry it took so long for us to write. It took us a while to get settled in at our new school. It was incredible to behold…"

* * *

About a month earlier...

The remaining six Calloway Cadets could hardly contain their excitement as the bus drove along the highway. "This is gonna be awesome!" Grunt exclaimed.

"Affirmative." Jamal commented with a nod. "I think we will all miss Old Calloway, but from what I hear of New Calloway, it can only be a boon to our education."

"Not to mention we could potentially make all kinds of new friends." Miguel added.

"Such a shame that Simon isn't joining us." Mel dead panned, the ghost of a smirk on his face. His fellow cadets and Colonel Calloway burst out laughing at that comment.

"There it is!" Baxter called out, pointing out the window at the new school. All eyes turned to the windows, where they could see what looked like a legit military base. Easily twice as big as the old facility.

"That's it." Colonel Calloway said with a smile, standing up. "New Calloway. But once more, even though we're headed to NEW Calloway-"

"-we still adhere to the Old Calloway Code." The cadets replied in unison. The Colonel flinched a bit.

"Ah. Good. You understand." He said, a little surprised at their simultaneous response, but pleased nonetheless.

 **"...and when we arrived, we met not only new students, but a new teacher…"**

The wrought iron gates slid open automatically as the bus pulled into the school yard, the cadet's disembarking with all haste, taking their superior officer with them like a gale taking a kite. The grounds were mostly dirt, but level and almost pristine, except for a few lines of footprints. Up ahead, standing in front of two seperate sets of barracks, were about ten children and a stern looking woman dressed in officer blues like the Colonel in front of them. She had short, gray, curly hair, cherry colored lipstick, and wore tiny bifocals on her face. One squad of students had all boys, about six of them, while the other had four girls.

"...and when the cadets from the now defunct Old Calloway arrive, I expect you to treat them with the same respect they will no doubt treat you with. Is that clear!?" The woman asked in an authoritative tone.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" All ten students replied in unison.

"Very good." She turned her steely eyes toward the gate and saw the original Calloway cadets lining up. "They're here...slightly ahead of schedule too." She glanced down at her watch. She motions for her own junior soldiers to follow as she strode over to them. Tug spotted her approach and sprang into action.

"Attention!" He declared, he and his friends snapping to attention for her. She smiled slightly, pleased at what she saw.

"At ease." She replied before turning to the Colonel and saluting him. "Colonel Calloway,a pleasure to meet you at last."

"Captain Mallory, I assume? The pleasure is all mine." The Colonel replied with a salute and a bow. As he did so, she glanced over at the original six. She looked indifferently at Tug, Miguel and Baxter, smiled ever so slightly at Mel and Jamal, but scowled when she saw Grunt. "Allow me to introduce my cadets-"

"There is time enough for that later, Colonel." She replied flatly. "We have to tour the facility, familiarize ourselves with the various computer systems integrated throughout the complex, and handle the paperwork so we can start the lessons tomorrow." The Colonel's jaw hung a little, surprised at her dedication and stiffness.

"Ahem...very well. Lead the way, captain." He said after regaining his composure, then turning to his cadets. "Cadets, take the time to bring your things to your barracks, set up your bunks and get to know your fellow students for today. Dismissed." He instructed, just as Captain Mallory dismissed her own group. Four of the students instantly moved forward to introduce themselves, while the other six went into a sort of huddle; clearly some kind of clique.

"Hey there." Said a young teenage girl with long, blonde hair done in a ponytail, and cool green eyes, stepping up to Tug. "I'm Tracey."

"Hi. I'm Tug." He replied, shaking her hand. "And these are my friends and fellow cadets. Allow me to introduce you…" He turned and gestured to his right. "Miquel, our resident technical genius. Baxter, small in size, big on heart. Jamal, master planner and organizer. Grunt, the big man on campus. And finally, Mel; he doesn't say or express much, but don't underestimate him. The gears are always turning."

"Hehe. Nice to meet all of you. And now, my friends." She put an arm around a tall, dark haired boy with a slight asian look about him to her left. He was kind of thin, and his uniform was absolutely spotless. "This is Mort. He doesn't really talk unless he has something to say either. He has an amazing memory. If he doesn't remember it, it didn't happen." Mort gives a nod of his head in acknowledgement. "He's a bit of a neat freak too, so...try not to mess up his space, kay?"

"I can respect that." Jamal commented with a half smile.

"And this musclebound wonder here is Fanny." She indicated the slightly pale, but very muscular girl with very short brown hair standing to her right. Most of the original Calloway cadets looked rather intimidated by her. "Three words: Handle with care."

"You got that right." Fanny commented with a snicker. "I kid. I wouldn't hurt a butterfly, unless it really ticked me off."

"Don't you mean a fly?" Miguel asked nervously.

"No. Flies get swatted in an instant. So don't be a fly." She laughed again, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Over here, we have Orville." A very small, dark skinned young man shyly waved to them, wearing an Ace Savvy watch on his wrist as Tracey introduced him. "He's really nice and kinda shy, and probably knows more about Ace Savvy than anyone I know."

"My cousin is a big fan of Ace Savvy." Mel spoke up in his own monotone.

"..cool." Orville said quietly, shuffling his feet.

"Just one little word of warning...do NOT get on his bad side." Tracey said, in a low and serious voice, no hint of a smile on her face. "He may look meek, but he's a super genius when it comes to revenge. Cross him, and he will make you pay...and leave no trace of his involvement."

"Er...thanks for the warning." Tug replied, a little shaky.

"Anytime." Tracey told him, her smile returning. "And finally, we have Melinda, the bookworm and linguist of our crew." She directed their attention to a girl slightly younger than she was, with bubblegum pink hair done in pigtails. How she got away with that, no one could even guess. She had her earbuds in, since they had been dismissed, and seemed pretty carefree.

"Hey there." Tug said, trying to be friendly. "What are you listening to?"

"Techno." She replied simply, her voice much higher and squeaky than the original squad leader expected. "It's my passion. When I get out of New Calloway, I'm starting my own band."

"Huh. I would have guessed you'd go for interpretation work." Baxter commented.

"Everyone thinks so. I mean, I enjoy learning different languages and such, but I LOVE listening to and making techno music." Melinda explained with a smile. "Though it's not entirely off the table. Interpret to earn enough money to really get off the ground, but that's off in the future."

"How many languages do you know?" Grunt inquired.

"Plenty. Almost all the Europeon languages (I'm still working on Irish), Japanese, Chinese, Russian, I can read Arabic, and can speak a little Latin." She replied, a bit of a proud smile on her face.

"Whoa. That is impressive." A very surprised Tug stated with a soft whistle.

"Arigato."

 **"However, not all of them were very nice…"**

Just then, the remaining six of Captain Mallory's students stepped forward, pushing Mort and Tracey aside, but moving around Orville. Only two of them really step up to Tug and his friends; one was a tall, somewhat buff teenaged boy with well coifed orangish hair, chiseled features, sunglasses, and a 'fresh meat' smirk on his face. Right by his side was a teenaged girl with neck length red hair, more makeup than regulation typically allowed, and an equally smug look on her face. They looked like the typical jock/head cheerleader team, and this set off numerous red flags with the group. "So, you guys are from the old Calloway facility, hmmmm?"

"Yes. I'm-" Tug started to say.

"I didn't ask for your life story, pretty boy." He said sternly, pointing a finger at Tug threateningly. "Nor do I care who you are. But let's make ONE thing perfectly clear. I am in charge around here. Apart from the Colonel and the Captain, I call the shots. I say jump, you say which way. I say speak, you say-"

"Which way?" Grunt responded, in a smart aleck tone. His fellow cadets, Tracey and Orville had a snicker at that.

"Was I talking to you, fat boy!?" He roared, his face turning a little red.

"Who exactly do you think you are, to speak to us like that?" Jamal asked firmly, crossing his arms in front of him.

"I'll tell you, bean pole. I am Brandon Tavish. As in, son of the owners of the Tavish Shipping company AND the Pomeran Jewelry store chain!" He explained loudly, getting right in Jamal's face, causing him to flinch a bit since he couldn't seem to say it without spraying it.

"So, in short, a spoiled brat who's coming in with and to money without actually working for it." Baxter summarized, shaking his head. Brandon snarled at him, raising his fist at the little boy, but Grunt quickly stepped in front of him, with a 'Try it, Punk' look on his face.

"Aww, let him go, Brandy." The girl practically clinging to him said. "He's a kid. He doesn't know what's what."

"...yeah, you're right, Diane…" Brandon grumbled. "But he'll learn...just like the rest of you wastes of space. I call the shots around here!"

"I believe that is for Colonel Calloway and Captain Mallory to decide, not you." Mel replied flatly. Now it was his turn to get the jock like boy in his face.

"Care to repeat that, Gomer!?" He growled.

"My name isn't Gomer. It's Mel." He replied in a monotone.

"Didn't I JUST say I didn't CARE!?" Brandon screamed right in his face. To his (and the other new Cadet's) surprise, he doesn't even react.

"You should, as we are going to be in the same platoon. In addition, it is the call of our superior officers who becomes squad leader, not you." He said without fear.

"oh yeah!?" Brandon snarled, grabbing and pulling hard on Mel's nose. Grunt, Tug, Miguel, and Jamal made a move to help, but their expressionless friend simply raised his hand to stop them. The brute had pulling his nose so hard, it was left very red. However, Mel looked like he didn't even feel it. No cry of pain. No tears. No anger. Nothing. This kind of unnerved Brandon, while the others looked a little scared, a few impressed. "...eh, you're not worth my time." He grumbled, turning back to Tug. "As for you, pretty boy...you and your friends better learn your place here….or I'm gonna take you out…" Without missing a beat, Tug grinned and responded:

"Whoa there, buddy! I don't swing that way." Every one of his friends, Tracey and her friends, and even a few of Brandon's clique burst out laughing at that. Brandon himself just looked dumbfounded, stammering and sputtering for a few seconds before storming off in a rage, his girl and his crew following close behind.

"Hahahahahaha! I haven't seen Brandon that angry since he first came to military school!" Tracey exclaimed through her laughter. "You guys are ok in my book!"

"Speaking of...Mel-" Baxter started to ask.

"I'm fine." He replied flatly. "It'll take more than a nose tweak to bother me."

* * *

"...but they usually leave me alone. Something about them thinking messing with a little kid is beneath them, so I guess I got lucky. Don't really have much more to say about the new school from my perspective, but the other guys will probably write about their own adventures and times here. I have to say, I miss having you all next door. You're kinda weird sometimes (no offense), but you added a little spice to what would otherwise be a humdrum school existance. Hopefully we'll be able to see you all again soon. Signed, Baxter." Gila finished, lowering the note.

"Awwww. That's sweet of him." Tanis commented as Lincoln set her down.

"Here's a message from Miguel." Phantasma said, as she opened his note. "Hehe. He even typed it on his computer. Ahem. Hey there, guy and gals. Miguel here. Hope you're all doing well. We're getting settled into New Calloway nicely. In fact, I'm kind of shining over here. A large chunk of the facility is run or handled by computers, and they need the resident tech head to keep them working properly. I remember when the Colonel and the Captain first ran into a problem with the computer systems…"

* * *

"What is going on with this infernal contraption!?" The fed up Colonel screamed, standing over over a computer that was clearly acting up. He was in the supply room and trying to send out a requisition for more basic supplies. However, every time he tried, the program went berserk.

"I don't know...I've never seen it do this before…" An equally irate Captain replied right gritted teeth as she tried to force the program to do what she wanted.

"Sir! Ma'am! The report you requested." Miguel said, saluting after he approached them with a sheet of paper with an inventory report on it.

"Thank you, Cadet Miguel, but this is not the time!" Captain Mallory said, trying her best not to snap at him, as he was doing his duty.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, leaning to one side to look at the computer screen.

"Too many things to list…" Colonel Calloway growled, slamming his hands down on the desk as the program had a fit again.

"Hmmm. Mind if I have a look?" The hispanic lad asked, moving closer to the keyboard.

"Now see here!" The uptight captain was about to scold him, but his Colonel stopped her.

"Hold up a moment, Captain." He said. "Miguel knows a thing or two about these things. Maybe he can help. He certainly couldn't do worse than we are…" The silver haired officer scowled, but held her tongue, watching as the young man worked.

"Now...let's see what happens…" He muttered as he tried to use the program as usual. When it utterly imploded upon attempting to send a form, he just nodded lightly. "I think I see what's going on here...but I'll need to check the code to be certain…" He pulled up the code, ignoring Captain Mallory's objections. After a minute of reading through the code…"Aha! Here's the problem." He said, his superior officers both looking surprised when he said that. "The program probably didn't install properly or had a bad update, and it corrupted the outgoing requisition code. Pretty much gets thrown into an infinite loop until it can't take any more." He explained as he pointed out the problem line of code.

"I see...I don't suppose you-" Captain Mallory started to say while the cadet was still typing rapidly.

"Done!" He declared with a smile, further shocking the lady. He saved and recompiled the code, re-ran the program, and successfully sent off their requisition with no further trouble.

"Excellent work, Cadet Miguel." Colonel Calloway said with a prideful smile.

"All in a day's work." He replied, saluting his superiors.

"...I must admit, I am impressed, Miguel. Do you think you could have a look at the school modem next?" Captain Mallory asked, smiling lightly at him. The young man smiled and rolled up his sleeves.

"With pleasure, Ma'am."

 **"...that won me some serious brownie points with them, and even with some of the other cadets. But some, like Brandon, seemed to take it as a signal to give me a harder time than usual."**

* * *

Miguel was face first on the ground behind the mess hall in the early dusk, groaning in pain. Brandon and two of his minions (a short, fuzz haired boy with a toad like look about him and a girl with straight black hair who looked like she was only there because it beat whatever else she was doing) were leering down at him, Brandon laughing coldly. "Not so high and mighty now, are you, Brainiac!?" He asked him as he picked the tech genius up by the color of his shirt. "Think you're so smart because you can fix a few computers?"

"I was...just trying to...help…"

"Oh, you wanna help, eh?" He asked with an evil chuckle. "Then keep your brain to yourself! No one wants to see you show off, Paco. You understand me!?"

"N...No."

"You don't understand? And you were supposed to be smart…"

"I mean I refuse!"

"...I think my comment still stands…" Brandon growled as he threw Miguel into some trash cans. "Looks like we need to teach you a lesson, Brainiac…" He and the toad like boy strode forward toward him, the girl with them not caring enough to help.

"Oh? Are we doing math?" Came a tough, feminine voice from nearby. Brandon and his 'friend' stopped short, wondering who said that when Fanny stepped into view, grinning. "Well, it seems to me you guys need the lesson there. After all, two does not equal one." She cracked her knuckles as she stepped beside Miguel, causing Brandon to step back. Miguel looked up in amazement as the tough girl took another step toward his assailants. "Maybe division is more your speed. Let's try it, shall we? What do we get when we divide one scumbag head from one scumbag body?" Brandon and his toadie quickly beat a swift retreat. "Good answer." She said with a light laugh, then she looked to the girl who was still standing there.

"Whatever…" The couldn't give a care girl said dully before she lazily walked away. With the peanut gallery out of the way, she turned to look at poor Miguel.

"Are you alright there, bud?" Fanny asked, holding a hand out to help the fallen cadet up.

"A little banged up...but nothing serious, I don't think." Miguel replied, rubbing his head a bit.

"I can't stand bullies at the best of times…" The powerful looking teen said, glaring where the two goons and one bystander left.

"Why is he so upset with me helping out with the computers around here?"

"Brandon is always threatened by anyone who shows any kind of skill greater than his own...I guess you could see it as a kind of compliment; he's pretty much admitting you're smarter than him." She explained, helping Miguel get the dust and dirt off.

"And how does he always get away with it? In a military school, no less…"

"He's dumb, but not that dumb." Fanny admitted, shaking her head. "When he bullies others, he always brings a pack with him. and isolates his victim. That way, it's the word of X against one, maybe two."

"...a few strings pulled may change that…" Miguel said to himself, before he spoke up. "Thanks a lot for coming to my aid, Fanny."

"You're welcome, Miguel." She told him with a smile. "We're practically siblings at arms, after all. It's what we do." She added, patting him on the back as she helped him back to his barracks.

 **"...since Fanny stood up to that guy, we've become fast friends. We even found out we had similar interests, in a rather unexpected way (but I won't go into details)…"**

* * *

It was a few days later, as it was getting dark; about an hour and a half till lights out. A dark form could be found sneaking through the night, headed for the lecture hall/briefing room. The figure paused and looked all around for a moment to make sure they were truly alone. Under their arm was a thin, square object. Once he was satisfied, they slipped into the building and tiptoed over to a dark corner of the classroom. He opened up the square shaped item, which turned out to be a laptop.

As the screen turned on, Miguel smiled. It was a bit of a risk to do this, but he needed to do this. He puts on his headphones and starting typing. The light shining off his face turned pink as he gave the screen his undivided attention. So much so that he never saw the door open, and a second, larger figure walking over beside him.

"Whatcha up to?" Fanny asked, grinning at him. Miguel gasped and jumped, hastily shut his laptop and smiled nervously up at her.

"Nothing!" He nearly shouted, sweating bullets. "W...what are you even…?"

"Number one: I could ask you the same thing. And number two: you aren't as sneaky as you think." The tech head gulped, shaking like a leaf. "Don't worry. No one else noticed you. So….what are you watching?"

"Nothing!" He repeated, though he knew this wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Oh, come on, Miguel. We're friends here. What you're watching can't be that bad, right?" The young man seemed plenty nervous. He tried to covertly shut whatever he was watching without opening the screen too much. Unfortunately, his efforts knocked his headphones off.

"...Princess Pony! Where Friendship ever liiiiives!" Miguel's face turned bright red as Fanny just looked at him, her face difficult to read.

"Princess...Pony?" She asked slowly. The poor boy covered his face, thoroughly embarrassed. He thought this was the end of hs rep. "...That was today!?" She looked at her phone in concern. "Oh for the love of...I completely forgot…."

"Forgot?"

"The new episode of Princess Pony is today. And there's no way I can get back to my laptop with enough time to catch it…."

"Wait...you watch Princess Pony?"

"Well, yeah. I've been a fan since I was six, but really started to love it again when they rebooted it two years back." Fanny said with a smile. "Are you watching the new episode? Can I see it too? I don't want to miss it…"

"Uh….sure." Miguel replied, surprised at this turn of events. He opened up his laptop as she shifted in beside him, a big smile on her face. "I...uh...have to say, I didn't expect you to like Princess Pony…" He said quietly.

"Hehe. I guess I don't really give that vibe...but neither do you, and yet here we are." Fanny said with a chuckle. "...needless to say, this stays between us?"

"Of course. Last thing either of us need is to give Brandon more ammo to work with." Miguel replied. His brawny friend smiled as she put an arm around him, the two of them silently watching the cartoon on his laptop in peace.

* * *

"...all in all, some minor bully issues aside, I'm really liking it here. I wish you could all see it...well, if I could get permission to take pictures, you could, but no go. Still, maybe you can visit sometime. I know the guys and I are planning visit sometime soon, if at all possible. We'll let you know as soon as we know something for sure. Sincerely, Miguel."

"Looks like Grunt is next." Elsa as she opened the third envelope. "Hey girls and Lincoln. New Calloway has been just awesome, but boy is it tough. In no small part due to Captain Mallory. Get this; she actually had the nerve to call me fat." The girls and Lincoln all look at each other for a moment before Elsa read on. "I mean, I know I'm built like a tank, but that's all muscle."

"Being on the receiving end of a volleyball from him, I can vouch for that…" Lincoln said, rubbing his head.

"She tried to say that if I were in the actual army, I would have been discharged for being so overweight. Believe it or not, Colonel Calloway actually came to my defense, telling her I was more muscle than flab. She insisted I prove it: by wrestling the 'toughest' cadet in the school, Brandon. Naturally, I accepted…"

* * *

Inside the on-site rec center, which had been created so the cadets had someplace to hang out and enjoy themselves in their free time, the entire room had been renovated to set up a wrestling ring on the center. All the table tennis tables, card tables, computer desks, etc were stacked up to one side in the corner, while all the chairs were set up around the ring. It had taken three days since the challenge was issued to set up, and Grunt took that time to train and discuss strategy with Jamal, Orville and Tug, while Brandon was bragging to his circle of friends how he was going to destroy that 'overstuffed whale'.

"You're sure you're ready for this, big guy?" Tug asked his bulky buddy as he and Jamal stood with him in his corner, Grunt trying to psyche himself up. Behind them, all the students were seated, Grunt's friends on one side, Brandon's one the other, with a shifty looking teenage boy sitting between the two groups.

"I was born ready, Tug." Grunt replied with a confident smile. On the opposite side of the ring, Colonel Calloway and Captain Mallory were seated to observe and act as referees.

"Your cadet doesn't stand a chance, Colonel." She said simply and seriously.

"You'd be surprised what any of my cadets are capable of, Captain. Especially Grunt." The old colonel replied, looking as confident as Tug did. The captain sniffed in a disapproving manner and looked over at Brandon, who was waving to his friends and girlfriend like he had already won the match. Once both cadets were in their respective corners, Baxter climbed into the arena, carrying a little mic with him.

"Psst. Hey, blondie." Tug looked to his right to see the shifty looking boy was now sitting slightly behind him. He and the other cadets knew him well. His name was Terrance, but everyone called him Trader. Out of all of Brandon's inner circle, he was probably the most tolerable (which wasn't saying much). He fancied himself the kind of guy who could get things; things you wouldn't normally be able to get while at military school such as good candy, trading cards, soda, etc. No one was sure how he did it, but he did. And being business minded, he often kept neutral during the feud between Brandon's crew and Tug's, unless he served to profit from it. That said, he was still quite sleazy and not afraid to scam any of his customers, so everyone knew he couldn't be trusted. "You think the dough boy up there can stand up to our boy?"

"Without question." The original Calloway squad leader replied.

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind getting in on the wagering action…" Trader whispered, opening up his pack to show it filled with stuff he collected so far.

"Wager? There's regulations against gambling, Trader…"

"There's regulations against gambling FOR MONEY, pal...there's a difference." The con responded, grinning as he tapped the side of his nose.

"Actually, he's right." Jamal verified quietly. "The rules do specify gambling with legal tender."

"You see? So what do you think? You in?" The original cadets looked between one another and their new friends, all of them pondering if they should. After a moment, Jamal pulls a small bag of colorful candy spheres from his pocket and hands them to Trader.

"One bag of homemade sour balls on Grunt." He whispered. Terrance took a moment to flip through a small notebook, where they all knew he kept the values of every item he receives and trades.

"Hmmm. Don't get these often...and homemade too. I'll put this against a 1st edition Full House Gang." He muttered, which got Orville's attention.

"I'll get in on this." Tracey said, handing him a marble. "One catseye marble on Grunt."

"Oooh. High stakes here…" He said quietly, looking at the glass orb like it were a diamond.

"Ladies and gentleman!" Baxter announced, indicating the match was about to begin. "In the blue corner, weighing in at two hundred and twenty pounds of pure muscle…"

"Yeah right!" Brandon interrupted, getting a laugh from his narrow group of friends and an eye roll from Captain Mallory.

"...large and in charge, The Beast of Old Calloway…" The little cadet continued, undeterred. "...GRUNT!" His larger friend slammed his fists together with a growl as the Old Calloway students, Tracey and her friends all cheered for him. "And in the red corner, clocking in at one hundred and eighty pounds...one ninety two if you count his ego…" Brandon glared at Baxter, covertly making a VERY rude gesture at him. "...Brandon!" The cocky brute raised his fist as if he already won, basking in the cheers of his few friends. Baxter quickly abandoned the ring as Colonel Calloway rang the bell for round one.

Grunt and Brandon stomped toward one another, both trying to intimidate the other before Brandon grabbed the bulky boy and proceeded to throw him to the mat hard. Tracey, Orville, Melinda, Mort and Fanny all wince at the sound of impact, looking a little worried for Grunt. The jock like boy grinned broadly and pulled Grunt to his feet by his head, then threw him over his shoulder. Because he was so heavy, it took a LOT of effort, but Brandon managed it and slammed him to the mat HARD. This kept up for the entirety of the first round, with Brandon throwing Grunt all over the place and Grunt not even fighting back. However, he kept getting back up, refusing to give up. When the bell finally rang, Brandon strolled back to his corner, breathing kinda heavy.

"You got this, babe." Diane told him, running to his corner with a water bottle.

"Darn straight, Diane." He replied through his heavy breathing. "Next round, I'll tenderize that side of pork a little more...then I'll finish him…"

 **"Heh heh heh. If he only knew…"**

"You're doing great, big guy." Tug whispered as Baxter gave Grunt a drink.

"So you studied his moves carefully?" Jamal inquired under his breath.

"Heh. Yep." Grunt muttered with a half grin. "Plus I bet he wasted so much energy trying to prove he can just throw a guy my size around."

"Perfect. In which case, go on the offensive."

"Yeah. Let 'em have it, Grunt." Tug said as he retook his seat, smirking.

"How can you send him back out after he was getting pulverized like that?" Tracey asked Tug, clearly angry.

"Just watch." He replied calmly.

"Watch what!?"

"Watch what happens when Grunt stops holding back."

"Hmph. I think we've seen enough, Colonel Calloway." Captain Mallory said with a huff, getting to her feet. "I believe I have made my point."

"Sit down, Captain." Colonel Calloway instructed, with a similar smirk to Tug's. She looked indignantly at him, but did as he said. "The only thing you've proved is how little you know my cadets. Grunt has had this match under control this whole time."

"...you've clearly lost your mind…"

"Have I?" He asked before ringing the bell for round two. Brandon charged at Grunt, who stood his ground. As soon as the goon got close enough, Grunt leaned over and flipped him right over his head and let him slam right on his back on the canvas. Captain Mallory rose to her feet, her mouth opened in shock. Brandon looked absolutely perplexed, as did his associates and girlfriend. Grunt's friends, however, were cheering him on.

"Ok, fatso…" Brandon growled, leaping back to his feet. "You got lucky...but now it's time to trim the fat!" He shouted, throwing a punch at Grunt.

"Good idea." He replied, blocking the strike with his forearm before grabbing the offending limb with his free hand. "Let's start with that fat head of yours." He stung before he hurled his attacker to the ropes. He bounced right off and was flung back, where Grunt slammed into him with a clothesline, knocking him down again.

"Oooh...he's gonna feel that for the next week." Miguel commented with a snicker. Grunt reached down to pick Brandon up, when the brute grabbed his chunky arm and pulls it around behind his back at he got up.

"I'm gonna break your arm, porky!" He shouted savagely. Grunt groaned a bit, then smirked. He swept his foot back and knocked one of Brandon's feet from under him. The bully started falling backwards, with his opponent falling right with him. The combination of impact to the ground and Grunt's significant weight knocked the wind out of the blowhard, forcing him to let go of him.

"You should know better, Brandon." Grunt said as he jumped up, then climbed the ropes. "It's not your weight...it's how you throw it around!" He yelled as he leaped from the top rope.

"AAAAAAH! I YIELD! I YIELD!" Brandon cried, curling up and cowering as the behemoth started falling toward him. Seeing he had had enough, Grunt landed on his hands and feet instead of his gut, though the impact still caused the ring to shake. Brandon slowly peeked through his arm, seeing the young man who had bested him standing over him. The building was filled with chants of 'GRUNT! GRUNT! GRUNT! GRUNT!', and a few taunting 'Fear The Beast, Brandon!' Trader looked utterly dumbfounded at the result as Jamal held out his hand, a slightly smug look on his face. The con grumbled and handed the comic book over.

"I...I can hardly believe it." Captain Mallory gasped.

"It's like I told you, Captain. You would do well not to underestimate my cadets. They could very well surprise you." Colonel Calloway said, very pleased with himself and his students as Brandon stood back up and Grunt walked back to his corner.

"It appears I owe that young man an apology...he truly...Brandon!" She shouted, with Colonel Calloway rising rapidly from his seat as well. Brandon had grabbed his stool and ran right at Grunt, slamming it so hard against his back that it broke (the stool, that is). The whole room went silent, except for Grunt's heavy breathing.

"...you shouldn't oughta done that…." Mel finally dead panned as Grunt turned around to face the back biting moron. The look of pure rage on his face was nothing short of frightening. He wasn't hurt much. He was FURIOUS. He grabbed Brandon by his tank top and lifted him over his head with ease, bellowing in anger as he prepared to throw him.

"Help! Help! Someone get that monster away from him!" Diane shrieked.

"He brought it on himself." Melinda pointed out. True as that was, Colonel Calloway knew he still needed to intervene.

"Grunt! Put him down! That's an order!" The bulky boy glared at his superior officer, still running on pure anger.

"Do as he says, Grunt." Tug said calmly, getting his friend's attention. "Brandon isn't worth it." Grunt growled for a bit, but then set Bradon down...less than gently.

"...very good, Grunt. Rest assured, he will NOT be getting away with that." The Colonel said sternly, leering at the shaking Brandon. "As for YOU, report to our office! Double time!" He snapped, Brandon making a hasty retreat out of the building.

"Are you alright, Grunt?" Captain Mallory asked, in a softer tone.

"Yeah...more angry than anything…" He admitted, still fuming.

"I'm sorry it had come to that, young man...and I'm sorry I was so convinced of your obesity…"

"Ah, don't worry about it. A lot of people think all this muscle is fat." He told her, patting his powerful arm.

"Needless to say, Brandon will be getting what's coming to him." The Captain stated, her stern look returning. "Whenever you are ready, Col-" She turned to address the colonel, but he was already halfway to the door, steam almost literally coming out of his ears.

* * *

"Both the Colonel and the Captain gave him the mother of all dressing downs. Not only that, but after his beatdown by my hand, Brandon's kept his distance from our group. I think I earned some respect from Captain Mallory too, not to mention our fellow cadets. Needless to say, it was a good day. Well, I need to run...literally. We're doing the mile today, and I plan to set the pace for the rest of them. Hope to see you all soon. Grunt 'The Beast'."

"Man...I wish I could have been there to see it." Winnie commented with a smirk. "I love a good wrestling match...and a bully beatdown."

"This one was written by Jamal." Suki spoke up, having opened up the fourth letter. "Good day, our friends from Grimwood. I trust my note finds you all well. Things were a little bumpy here at first; no surprise. All new facilities experience growing pains initially. However, things are running more smoothly now. Of course, those of us who can help have been assisting where we can. Example, I've been putting my organizational skills to work managing the inventory for the supply depot and kitchen."

"How exciting…" Winnie said sarcastically.

"...in addition, I've also taken to helping my friends out by creating study guides for our classes. Our grades, as a result, have remained consistently good. However, this brought some attention from others…"

* * *

Jamal was in the complex library, standing by the printer/copier as he looked over the study guides he had created for him and his friends. They were pretty much a simplified, easier to read and understand version of the notes they had taken during classes. He smiled to himself, satisfied with his work. He put the stack of pages under his arm and turned to leave. However, he paused before he could leave, he spotted Diane sitting by herself at one of the long tables used to reading and studying. She looked most distressed about something. Against his better judgement, he decided to approach her to find out what was wrong. "Excuse me, Diane...but is something bothering you…?"

"Hmmm? Oh, it's you, Jammen…"

"Jamal."

"Right...I'm just worried about this upcoming exam…" She explained, her gaze returning to the table. "My parents haven't been very happy with my grades lately...if I don't do well on this test, I'm in deep trouble…"

'You're already in a military school. Other than going to Stonewall, what more could they do?' The tall african american boy wondered. However, he remembered the Calloway Code; and it had a rule regarding helping ladies in distress. "Could I see your notes a moment, please?" She looked up at him with surprise, but slowly showed him her notebook. He quietly examined them; they weren't terrible. It was clear she was trying and it had all the important points, but it was a mess to try and read. That was one of the caveats to getting Jamal's aide: he needed to know you were trying before he would help you. He pulled out one of his study guides (the one he reserved for himself) and handed it to her. "Here. Use this simplified study guide." He offered, which confused her further. "I made it up specifically so it's easier to read and understand. Hope it helps." He gave a quick half salute to her as she just stared at the paper, uncertain what to make of what just happened. Not long after he had left, her brawny boyfriend entered the library and spotted where she was sitting.

"Hey babe" He said with a smirk as he leaned over beside her and kissed her on the cheek. "Whatcha got there?" He inquired as he noticed the paper.

"Oh...just a study guide that tall kid gave me." Diane replied, trying to sound like she couldn't care less about it. Brandon's eyes scanned the sheet for a moment before his smirk grew.

"That a fact? Hmmm...this could be useful."

 **"...Let me preface the next part of the story by saying that Brandon and his circle of friends didn't usually get bad grades (with the possible exception of the girl we all call 'Whatever' (resulting from whatever being all she ever said), but I think that's from lack of caring instead of lack of understanding of the material). In fact, their grades were usually pretty decent. Still, it was a bit of a surprise when most their crew got grades as high as mine and Mort's. Surprising, but not really suspicious yet…."**

The Cadets had just finished their afternoon exercises the next day, got changed and were headed on their way to the mess hall for lunch. Jamal was chatting with Orville, Tracey and Miguel when Diane came running up to him. "Jamal. Could I talk to you a moment?"

"Hmm? Oh, sure." He turned around to face her, with his friends viewing her with suspicion.

"...err...in private?" Jamal found this a little odd, but obliged, telling the others he would catch up in a moment. Naturally, they were hesitant, but eventually continued to the mess hall. "I just wanted to say thanks for the guide...it really helped."

"I'm happy to hear that."

"My parents were pleased with the scores from my last test...but now they wish for me to keep it up the whole semester, or they'll cut my pocket money and disable my cell…"

'So that's what she meant by big trouble...I guess that would be big trouble for someone like her.' He thought to himself.

"So...do you think you could help me out just one more time? One more study guide? Please?" She asked, giving him the big, sad eyes. He looked at her for a moment, pondering the situation. He was unaffected by the sorrowful eyes trick, and had slightly less sympathy for her knowing what kind of trouble she was. That said, was it really that unreasonable a request? He didn't think so.

"I don't see why not." Jamal replied. "But after this, I suggest you use the guide as a basis for which to create your own study guide."

"I will. Thank you." She told him. Jamal smiled lightly and nodded to her before he turned and continued on his way to the mess hall. From the 'alley' between the barracks and the lecture hall, Brandon, Trader, Whatever, the toad like boy, and a fourth boy with slicked back amber hair emerged, their leader looking very pleased with the turn of events.

"You did beautifully, Diane...now we just need a way to keep his study guides coming." Brandon said, rubbing his hands together like a mad genius. "Our grades will be top of the school all semester."

"Your grades were great before…" Whatever commented.

"But not the best. Every time, we get bested by Mr Memory, String Bean and the rest of the Breakfast Club of Fail...but now, we will be number one, as we should be." Brandon monologued, slamming his fist into his other hand.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the mess hall, the cadets were already tucking into their lunch: a chicken and corn chowder that tasted like they just heated up a bunch of canned soups together. Still, after the workout that day, they weren't going to turn their noses at it. They were halfway through when Jamal entered the mess hall. "So, what did the princess want?" Tracey asked as soon as he sat down with his soup.

"Diane was asking if I would loan her a study guide again."

"Again? You gave her a study guide before!?" Baxter asked in astonishment. "Why!?"

"She was having trouble preparing for the exam and her notes, while extensive enough, were a mess." He explained in a logical tone between spoonfuls of soup. "And it's in the Calloway Code that a cadet helps a lady in distress." Tracey frowned and turned her head to Tug, as if asking for confirmation. The blond haired boy shrugged a bit.

"It's an old fashioned code…" He told her.

"I must agree with Baxter." Mort said softly, looking to Jamal. "I don't think that's particularly wise."

"What Mort said." Grunt agreed. "What you call a study guide, she probably calls a cheat sheet." Jamal's face hardened as he looked at his powerful friend, but he couldn't deny that doubt was in his mind as well. However, by the same token, he had little reason to believe she was cheating as well.

"I see what you guys are saying." He finally said after some thought. "But I don't think she has been cheating. Besides, it's only one more guide for one more test. After that, she'll be making her own guides."

"...with all due respect, Jamal...that's a really naive way of thinking…" Tracey said, shaking her head.

 **"...A part of me knew she was right to some extent, but at the same time, I had already said I'd do it, and this would be the last time. So the next test comes around. I can't watch them, as I am focused on my own test. However, when the test results came in, Brandon and his friends actually out performed us...well, except for Mort…"**

"Well? What more evidence do you need?" Tracey whispered angrily, gesturing toward the bragging blowhard and his inner circle across the classroom. "They aren't that smart...they must be using your guide to cheat." Jamal looks over at the group with a frown. From Brandon's smug smile, to the toad-ish boy's slimy look of glee, to Diane's...look of guilt? Was he really seeing that right, he wondered.

"I know it looks bad, Tracey…" Jamal whispered in reply. "..and the odds of Brandon cheating are statistically very high...but I still have my doubts whether Diane herself cheated."

"How can you say that!?" She was about ready to scream at him at this point.

"He's right, actually." Mel interjected, startling Tracey. She hadn't even noticed he joined the conversation. "I was watching them when they took the test...most of them were looking at cheat sheets."

"Don't sneak up on me like that…." Tracey complained, holding her heart. "Wait, most?"

"Most." Mel repeated. "Whatever, as always, didn't care, and Diane didn't have a sheet."

"...ok, you were right, Jamal." Tracey admitted, turning to look at Jamal, who seemed pleased; not smug. "But it doesn't change the fact they more than likely got the sheet from her." When she said that, his face turned to a more serious one.

"On that fact, I think we can agree." He told her. "I'll speak to her about it after class, though I don't intend to give her any more study guides."

* * *

About a half hour later, Brandon, Diane and their four other friends were headed back to the barracks, with the intention of enjoying a brief rest period before afternoon drills. However, before they could reach the buildings, Jamal came running up to them, a move that surprised most of them. "Excuse me, could I speak to Diane for a moment, please?"

"Get lost, loser." Brandon said derisively. "She's got nothing to say to you."

"I must insist. It's quite important."

"It's fine, Brandy. I'll see what he wants." Diane said in her snobbish voice.

"Huh? Oh...alright, Diane." He said, very surprised. She stepped forward and the two of them moved a few feet away so they could talk somewhat privately.

"Diane, I want you to be honest with me." Jamal said, calmly, quietly and firmly. "You gave my study guide to them, didn't you?" Diane immediately looked very uncomfortable. Fortunately, her back was to her group of friends, but Brandon could sense something was up.

"Yes…" She confessed quietly.

"I see. That much, I don't have a problem with." He told her, which calmed her a little bit. "What I do have a problem with is how they used it. Are you aware of how they used it?" She doesn't answer verbally, but does respond with a soft nod. "...I don't mind helping you prepare for a test. Heck, I wouldn't mind helping anyone if I knew they would put in the effort. But cheating…"

"I wasn't…"

"I know." He interrupted her. "But giving them my study guide so they can cheat, with the knowledge that they would…" He just shook his head. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Jamal continued. "If this wasn't already the last study guide you were getting from me, it would have been the last…"

"Now, why does it have to be the last?" The small, toad like boy asked with a sinister smirk. Diane's friends and boyfriend had had gotten closer to eavesdrop, and they looked none too happy to hear this.

"Yeah. I thought Calloway Cadets stuck together." Trader added, lightly cracking his knuckles.

"Considering you guys are taking advantage of the kindness I showed her to cheat…"

"Listen here, Jammit…" Brandon started, stepping forward.

"Ja-"

"Don't care." He interrupted, putting an arm around his shoulders. "You've been providing a good thing for us, and we aren't about to see it end. You WILL keep giving us study guides…"

"And if I refuse?" In reply, Brandon grabbed the slightly taller Jamal by the collar.

"Brandy! Let him go!" Diane suddenly snapped. Her brutish beau flinched in surprise, releasing his victim's shirt. "Don't you dare lay so much as a finger on him!" She scolded him, catching everyone flat footed.

"Whoa...ok, Diane...whatever you say. My hands. Off Jammer. Got it."

"Jamal." The taller cadet corrected him, annoyed.

"And see that it stays that way!" She warned him before she continued to the girl's barracks.

"Looks like you got lucky, Jeremy…" Brandon growled.

"You aren't even trying with the name any more, are you?"

"I can't touch you...but that doesn't mean they can't." He gestured toward the three remaining boys, who were all grinning as they started to swarm on Jamal. Before he could react and they could get close, a shrill whistling sound was heard. Seconds later, a single playing card struck the ground between them like a thrown shuriken. On the side facing Jamal was the ace of spades. There was confusion for a few seconds before Colonel Calloway emerged from his office, looking annoyed.

"Alright! Who blew that whis-" He paused when he saw the scene before him. "...what's going on here?"

"Nothing, Colonel." Trader explained, quickly going into damage control mode. "We were just having a little chat with our fellow cadet." The Colonel looked between all of them, a look of mistrust on his face.

"It seems to me you're just loitering around...and if you're REALLY that bored, I could find you all something to do. Like latrine duty!" He barked, which caused the four boys to immediately scram, headed for their own barracks. The only one left was Whatever, who just stood there. While the Colonel's attention was focused on the bullies, Jamal picked up the card for a closer look. He noticed a tiny noisemaker attached to each corner. "Is everything alright, Jamal?"

"I believe so, Colonel." He replied, examining the card closely.

"What's that?"

"A playing card I found on the ground. Someone must have dropped it." This was half true. He didn't want the headmaster to confiscate it, so he omitted that it only appeared after the whistling. He wanted a chance to look it over more closely himself.

"I see. Well, deal with it as you deem fit. Now get moving, before I find something for YOU to do." He said in a commanding voice.

"Yes, sir!" The cadet said before he hastily obeyed his superior officer. Meanwhile, watching from behind a cluster of trash can not far away, a small figure darted away while the Colonel tried to get Whatever to move along (with limited success).

 **"...from that point, they continued to bother me for study guides while we were in our barracks. Making threats and whatnot. This lasted about a week before they just stopped. I had no idea why, but they seemed pretty happy about something. The came the day of our last test before break."**

* * *

Inside the lecture hall, the students were already working on their tests (a math test to be more precise). They had only just started, with Captain Mallory watching over them. As Jamal wrote on his test paper, his eyes glanced over to where Brandon and his crew were. He noticed that most of them had their hats in their laps and, ever so often, their eyes would dart down to their laps before quickly looking back to write an answer. No doubt in his mind that was where they kept their cheat sheets. However, there was nothing he could really do about it now. He then noticed Orville sitting next to him, his left hand all bandaged up. He had asked the young boy about it before the class started, but he had told him it was nothing to worry about. It only made Jamal more curious about it, but right now, he needed to focus on the test.

Orville slowly looked up from his paper, toward the Captain's desk. She had her attention on Tug, who was looking up at the ceiling as he thought. He then turned toward Brandon. His focus was divided between his paper, his hat, and the Captain. 'Perfect…' He thought. He reached into his right sleeve and, with a flick of the wrist, tossed a single playing card. It landed without a sound under Brandon's desk, suite side up. The ace of spades. He then placed the back of his pen into his mouth, looking like he was thinking. He grinned ever so slightly, bit his teeth onto his pen, giving it a slight twist. A shrill screech, like nails on a chalkboard, came from right beneath the cheater's seat for a very brief time. Brandon jumped in shock, his hat falling from his lap, and all eyes looking in his direction, Captain Mallory's included. Two of his friend's also lost their hats to the floor.

"What in blue blazes was that!?" She exclaimed, her eyes looking down where the card. However, something else caught her eye; a sheet of paper in Brandon's hat. She quickly rose from her seat and rushed over. The 'alpha male' realized what had happened and made a grab for the hat, but his fingers were stopped by a leather shoe. Captain Mallory then scooped up the paper in the hat and scowled. "You better explain yourself…." She told him. Before he could speak, she glanced down and spotted the other two hats that had fallen. "You as well, Cadet Elsworth, Cadet Levi!?" She snapped, indicating the toad like boy and the boy with the slicked back hair. Trader, sensing trouble when the Captain stood up, covertly put his hat into his pocket while she was catching his friends in the act. The three of them tried to give the usual excuses: Those aren't mine. Never seen them before. Just forgot to put them away. Considering recent events with Brandon, Captain Mallory was having none of it as she demanded they march themselves to Colonel Calloway's office. While they were leaving in shame and his classmates were watching them leave, Orville quickly reclaimed the ace, slipped it back up his sleeve, and quickly returned to his seat. He goes right back to working on his test, as if nothing ever happened.

* * *

"...I'm not sure what happened that day, but Brandon, Elsworth and Levi got an earful from the Colonel after that. KP, policing the grounds daily, extra drills...they'll be ready to join the actual army by the time they're done. Here's hoping they learned their lesson...though considering how many lessons Brandon has had already, I have my doubts. Diane, on the other hand, seems to have taken my words to heart and she's started making her own study guides, and her grades have become consistently good. Kinda makes me proud, you know? I hope to see and hear from you all soon. Keep in touch. Sincerely, Jamal."

"Wow. That was a long letter." Gosuki commented with a giggle.

"Only one letter left." Lincoln said, as he took the final letter on the tray and opened it up. "Yep. It's from Tug. Let's see…

Dear, everyone at Grimwood's. I hope you're all doing well. Things are going well enough over here, though it hasn't been easy for everyone. I'm sure the others have told you about their own letters. I had some of my own problems with Brandon, but with his 'gotta be the best, top dog, alpha male' attitude. However, I ended up butting heads with Tracey sometimes too. Turns out, she's aiming to become squad leader here at New Calloway as well. Fortunately, our rivalry is significantly more friendly than it is with Brandon. Seriously, that guy is WAAAAAY too competitive for his own good. I really miss all of you (Sibella especially)..." The vampiress blushed lightly when she heard that. "...We've submitted a request for weekend leave, but it may be some time before we get a response, particularly over the Thanksgiving holidays. Red tape. You know we all hate it. But as soon as we get an answer, we'll let you know. Hope to see you all soon. Signed, Tug."

"It's lovely to hear from them all again." Sibella said with a smile as she read the note over Lincoln's shoulder.

"Even better to hear they're doing alright." Tanis added, gently nibbling on her thumb.

"So, how did you enjoy your time at Lincoln's place?" Winnie asked, looking directly at Phanty and Sibella with a smirk.

"We had so much fun! And the things we could tell you…" The giggly ghost said, motioning everyone to come closer so she could tell them about their time with the Louds.

* * *

Several hours later, long after the sun had set, a lone figure was walking down the sidewalk, looking over the stone wall at the top of manor house that was Grimwood school. He smirked as he passed quickly under a streetlight, briefly revealing the figure to be none other than Sigmund Lesrec. "At long last." He muttered to himself as he stopped at one of the stone pillars that made up the gate leading to the school grounds. He pressed his back against the pillar and cautiously peered around the corner. "After all this time...Abigail's school. Soon enough, I will strike a devastating blow to monster kind…" He said quietly to himself. The urge to burst through the front door and engage the creatures within was great, but he resisted. He knew that Miss Grimwood was both a powerful witch, and quite smart. There were probably alarms and such everywhere. He pulled off one of his shoes and hurls it onto the grounds. The moment it touched the ground, a bright red rune flared to life. His eyes widened as the rune suddenly exploded, obliterating the shoe and setting off a klaxon like alarm inside the house.

He ducked back behind the stone structure right when Miss Grimwood had teleported outside to investigate the source of the commotion. Upon spotting the seared patch of grass, she ran over for a closer look. She frowned as she scooped up a few of the charred pieces of leather. Just leather and nothing else. There were no footprints, nor any sign the gate had even been touched, much less opened. 'Perhaps this is some prank from one of the town's children.' She considered. She turned back to the house as Sigmund pulled his other shoe off. "Matches!" She called out, just as Sigmund dashed as fast as he could along the old wall, away from the gate and toward Old Calloway. His feet stung a bit as the pebbles on the pavement jabbed him through his socks, but he needed to be quiet at this point. He listened carefully as Matches scurried out and sniffed around the ground where the rune went off. Fortunately for him, any trace of his scent on the shoe was burned away when it exploded.

'That was closer than I would like…' He thought to himself. 'I should have guessed that a direct assault would be folly...Abigail is as clever and deadly as she was beautiful back in the day…' He wracked his brain about his predicament as he heard Miss Grimwood reenter the school after she reset the trap. He turned his attention to the Old Calloway facility, which had been closed and locked up for over a month, his grin returning. 'Perhaps going back to school myself will provide me some insight…' He thought. Taking a quick look up and down the road to ensure no one was watching, he quickly scaled the fence surrounding the old compound, grateful for the fact that there was no barbed wire to hinder his entry. He slunk his way to the old barracks, where some dusty metal cots with equally dusty mattresses were lined up. Seemed no one had taken the time to clear them out yet. "I can stay here for now, until I can find a way inside Grimwood's…" He said quietly, setting his pack down beside one of the beds. "In the meantime, it's an ideal position to perform some surveillance...rest well, monsters...for soon, your rest will be eternal."


	28. Chapter 28: The Building Storm

_AN: I know I probably should have taken a little more time to let Rita hang out with each of the girls individually, but I was running short on ideas of what they could do and talk about, and also I have been eagerly awaiting writing the climatic final battle to come. It's gonna be a big one, so it may take some time and will definitely be split into at least two chapters._

* * *

The Building Storm

With Miss Grimwood's planned trip a few days after the end of Thanksgiving break, she knew she needed a plan so's not to disrupt her student's education while she was away. And fortunately, she had a plan. Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy were somewhat familiar with how things were taught at Grimwood's, so she could leave a syllabus with them for most of the classes, and since Sibella was in a more advanced magic class, she could easily teach spellcrafting herself. Potions...perhaps that could wait until she returned. And, if Mrs Loud had no objections, perhaps she could help as well. Meanwhile, as Miss Grimwood prepared to depart, Sigmund was preparing his arrival. He deduced that he couldn't get in from the front or back with the grounds rigged the way they were, and trying to get in from an upper window would leave him a sitting duck. However, he did have one option available: dig in through the basement. It wouldn't be easy, certainly. It would take days to get there, and he would have to account for the moat as well. However, it was the only way. So he hid out in the empty supply depot and started to dig his tunnel.

The Monday afternoon after the break, a cab pulled out to the gate outside the Grimwood grounds. The cabbie, naturally, wouldn't drive up to the moat. However, that was far enough for the passenger. Rita Loud emerged from the taxi, grabbed her suitcase from the trunk, and paid the driver before she turned to look at the house. The drawbridge was already down for her. She was used to being around the monster girls already, but the house...the house was still intimidating to her. She took a breath before she strolled down the path to the school. across the drawbridge, and knocked on the door. "Ah. Mrs Loud. Good afternoon." Abigail Grimwood said as she answered the door. "Come in. Come in. Thank you so much for offering to help."

"My pleasure, Miss Grimwood." Rita replied with a smile as she stepped inside. All eight Grimwood girls were already in the entry room, along with the octopus butler, Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy. Miss Grimwood's helping hand was carrying the head mistress' bags down the stairs. "Hello girls, Mr Rogers, Mr Doo and Mr Doo."

"Hello Mrs Loud." The girls (except for Milly) replied together.

"Like, it's good to see you again, ma'am." Shaggy said, shaking her hand.

"It's good to see you all again too...uh...where's Lincoln?" She asked, noticing the lack of her son.

"I think he's still asleep in the gym tower." Winnie told her, pointing upward.

"We learned some defense spells before you arrived and Lincoln...kinda pushed himself too hard." Phantasma explained, rubbing the back of her head.

"Can't say I blame him." Scrappy piped up. "This news of that crazy monster hunter has everyone on edge. We all want to be ready, just in case." Rita nodded lightly, remembering what Lynn Jr had said about Lincoln's determination. It was almost like he was certain that this terrible person would be there.

'But...that's not going to happen, right?' Rita thought to herself, trying to put her own mind at ease.

"I could go wake him up, if you like." Sibella offered.

"No. That's alright, Sibella. Let him rest." His mother replied. "I'll see him later."

"Indeed. Lincoln has earned himself some rest, the poor boy." Abigail agreed. "Well, I better get on my way, or I'll miss the spirit train."

"The what?"

"The spirit train. The Witches and Warlocks convention is being held in the spirit realm this year. I suspect it was meant to keep gatecrashers out." She explained. "Fare well everyone. Stay safe till we meet again."

"Bye Miss Grimwood." Everyone replied, waving to her as she took hold of her bags.

"Have a good time." Rita added, just before Miss Grimwood vanished from sight. With the headmistress gone, the Loud mother slowly looked to the monster girls, Shaggy and the Doos. "Ok...I'll be the first to admit that I'm not sure how things work around here…"

"Like, no need to stress over it, Mrs Loud." Shaggy said, pulling a notebook from behind his back. "Miss Grimwood has it planned out. We're each going to cover classes here while Miss G is away…" He started to explain, gesturing to himself, the dogs, the man sized squid and Sibella. "...with lesson plans all set up."

'She's thought of practically everything.' Rita thought as she took a look at the notebook Shaggy showed her. "Hmmm...I think I could help with the literature and history classes." The ever hungry coward nodded as he handed the lesson plans to her. "Thank you, Mr Rogers."

"Call me Shaggy, Mrs Loud."

* * *

Meanwhile, Miss Grimwood had just arrived at the Station Between Worlds: a special train station that could take witches, warlocks, and certain magically inclined creatures and their guests to whatever alternate plan they needed to go to. Couldn't they travel their directly? Of course, but it often took a LOT of effort. The trains, while taking upwards of an hour, allowed for comfort while travelling. She took a moment to look around the grand station that acted as a hubworld between realms. As ever, it was abuzz with activity, filled with magical beings of all shapes, sizes and from all walks of life. She looked up at the crystal ceiling, which showed the psychedelic array of colors that was the sky of this hubworld. She quickly looked away, knowing better than to keep watching the pretty, but nausea inducing colors. She made her way to the platforms outside, as she already had her ticket (having had the forethought to buy in advance). It took her a few minutes, but she eventually found the spirit train and got herself boarded. She made herself comfortable in her seat, pulling a book out of her carry-on bag to read while she waited for the train to move. "Excuse me, but is this seat taken?" A man's voice asked her from her left, a hand indicating the seat beside her.

"No. Be my guest." She replied, glancing over at the man standing in the aisle beside the seat. She looked back to her book, then quickly looked back. Standing there was a tall man in a fine suit, with graying hair, a pencil thin mustache, a red sash belt, and a dark cape over his shoulders. His face had an ever serious look about it, but he was smiling warmly at her.

"Hello, Abigail." He said to her.

"Vincent Van Ghoul! You old fox." Miss Grimwood said in delighted surprise as he took the seat beside her. "I haven't seen you since you moved out to the Himalayas. How has life been treating you?"

"Oh, things have quieted down since the Thirteen Ghosts had been dealt with a couple years back." He replied.

"Oh dear...did they get released again?"

"Yes, though they are safely sealed away again, with the Chest of Demons hidden very well this time."

"Thank goodness." Miss Grimwood sighed with relief as she heard this.

"How about you, Abigail? How are things at your school?" The warlock inquired.

"Quite stressful at the moment, truth be told." She answered. "A lot has gone on recently. We started a student exchange program at the start of the year, sending one of my girls to experience human public school, while bringing a young human boy to Grimwood's."

"A boy? Quite a step, Miss Grimwood. Is he the cause of the stress?"

"Oh no. Lincoln has been just fine at Grimwood's. He's becoming quite the warlock, actually." She told him with a small smile. "No...the cause of my stress is Sigmund Lesrec…"

"The monster hunter?" He asked in alarm.

"The same...he put poor Zanya in the hospital in critical condition, and it is believed that he may be heading for my school…"

"...I had heard he was single minded and heartless in his pursuit of monsters...but I didn't want to believe it…" Vincent said, shaking his head.

"Well, even in the off chance he finds the school, he's not getting in." Miss Grimwood continued. "The girls and Lincoln will be safe until I can return."

"I see. I suppose this trip to the convention isn't as a pleasure trip then?"

"No. I'm actually planning to try and hire more teachers for the school." She elaborated. "Student enrollment is going up, and as I am not as young as I used to be, it seemed prudent."

"Oh please, Abigail…" Van Ghoul interjected with a chuckle. "You don't look a day over one hundred." That got a little girlish giggle out of the motherly witch.

"Vincent, you silver tongued charmer…"

"You know me so well. But seriously...with the Thirteen Ghosts no longer an issue, perhaps I could offer my assistance."

"That would be greatly appreciated, Vincent. Thank you so much."

"My pleasure. It would be nice to pass on my knowledge and experience...to someone who wouldn't use it for con purposes." He said, a hint of disappointment in his voice as he remembered his old assistant. It was about that time when the train started to move, while the two of them started chatting and reminiscing about the good old days.

* * *

Lincoln was out for about an hour after his overexertion during spellcrafting class. Luckily, he didn't have any classes until later that evening. He quickly descended the stairs from the gym tower, hoping he didn't miss his chance to say goodbye to Miss Grimwood. However, upon hearing his mother's voice in the entry room, he knew he must have already missed her. He sighed quietly, feeling a little bad as he stepped into the room. "Hey there, sleepy head." Winnie teased with a giggle. "Had a good rest?" The girls, minus Milly (who was still in the room, seated opposite Rita in one of the antique chairs) were gathered around Lincoln's mother, who was sitting on a couch with Tanis on her lap.

"Yeah, I guess." He replied, before continuing with a "Hi Mom."

"Hello Lincoln." She greeted in return, smiling at him as he walked over. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah. Just...kinda overdid it."

"You know, you've been working yourself way too hard." Mrs Loud pointed out to him.

"Yeah." Elsa agreed. "Not just in spellcrafting class, but up in the gym tower too. Winnie says she saw you practicing on the sandbag for nearly two hours on Saturday."

"We know you want to be ready in case that fiend comes here, but working yourself to near death like that isn't good for you." Gila added softly.

"Besides, that monster hunter is probably miles from here." Gosuki said. Little did she (or anyone else present) know how close he really was, working hard to start his tunnel. Lincoln and Tanis shared a silent look for a moment. The two of them knew why Lincoln was pushing himself so hard, along with wanting to protect himself, his friends, his loved ones, and avenging Zanya. However, the man with the plan knew that Gila and his mother were right. While his body was improving bit by bit, he knew that endless work wouldn't be doing him any favors. Even Lynn took rests between her intense training sessions.

"Yeah...you're right." He finally said with a soft smile. "I am in serious need of a break." He carefully squeezed past the girls around the couch and sat down between his mother and Phanty, the latter of which putting her arm around him.

"So, what was it you were saying, Mrs Loud?" Sibella asked, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"Where was I?...oh, right. Well, right after I told her she couldn't go to that party with Bobby, I went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and waited." Rita said with a grin. "Like clockwork, I heard Lori shimmy down from her window and heard her sneak away from the house exactly ten minutes after I told her no." Lincoln stifled a chuckle at this point. Luna had told him this story before, so he knew where it was going.

"Why didn't you want her to go to the party?" Tanis asked with a tilted head.

"Her grades had been slipping. Too many missed homework assignments. She, at the time, told me she would do her homework when she got back. I didn't believe it. But anyway, knowing she was out of the house, I knew she wouldn't be back until after midnight. She told me so herself. So I carried on like nothing was wrong until near midnight. Then, I made my way up to Lori and Leni's room and sat on her bed. Then I waited. And waited. For nearly a half hour. That was when she finally arrived; crawling in back through the window. She thought she was home free until she sat right down on my lap." All the girls, even Milly, started snickering at that.

"I bet she was really surprised." Winnie commented.

"Most certainly. She screamed so loud she woke half her siblings. She tried to make excuses, but I didn't want to hear them. Instead, I held her to her word. I took her to her desk, handed her her homework, and told her to get started. I stood there and watched her for a full hour, until her homework was done."

"But how did you know she would have snuck away?" Elsa inquired.

"A very good question, Elsa. Lori asked me the same thing, so I told her that I did the very same thing at her age." Rita told them.

"You did!?" The girls from Grimwood all seemed shocked at this revelation. Even Lincoln looked a little surprised, and he heard this story before.

"I know. Hard to imagine." She said with a giggle. "But it's true. I snuck out in the middle of the night in high school. Never got away with it, because, just like with Lori, I got caught by my own mother, who was waiting in my room. The only difference being I didn't end up sitting on my mother. I didn't sneak in through my window, which I will credit Lori for. If I was waiting for her anywhere else, she would have avoided me. Also, I just ended up grounded...not that Lori didn't get grounded, but she had to do her homework too."

"You know...someday, Lori will probably have a daughter of her own, who will do the exact same thing." Gila said after a fit of giggles.

"Pop Pop told me the same thing the next day."

"Hehehe. I love that story." Lincoln said as he wiped a tear of laughter from his eye.

"I dunno. I think I liked the story about you and 'The Harvester' was better." Phanty commented with a giggle, which got all Lincoln's friends giggling too. His pupils shrank as his cheeks turned red.

"Mooom….." He groaned, which made Rita chortle a little as well.

* * *

Three days had passed, and things seemed to be going smoothly: for those at Grimwood's, for Abigail, and for Sigmund as well. Classes, barring potions and alchemy, went on as usual, being taught by Shaggy, The Doos, Mrs Loud and Sibella. The students were becoming more relaxed, even Lincoln and Tanis, and the girls were getting along well with Rita. Miss Grimwood was enjoying the convention and managed to gather quite a few applications from hopeful teachers. And Sigmund's tunnel was almost finished. He emerged from his end around noon, covered in dirt and sweat, but looking very pleased with himself. All that separated him from his targets was a sandstone wall. But he wasn't quite ready to strike yet. He was exhausted from all that digging, so he needed to rest. He helped himself to some trail mix as well (which was all he ate since he took up residence in Old Calloway. He couldn't risk getting spotted). However, in his off times, he was keeping watch of the school; he was well aware of the grown ups present, mostly humans, and wanted to try and get them out of the way so he wouldn't have to hurt them. He was just pondering how when he heard:

"See you later, guys. Heading out to pick up a few sodas." Scrappy called from the front door.

"Like, you wanna ride, Scrappy?" Shaggy asked in return.

"Nah. I'll be fine."

"Rokay, rut re rafe, Rappy."

"I will, Uncle Scooby." The pup said before he started on his way down the path.

"...and the planets align." Sigmund muttered with a smirk. He quickly snuck out of the compound and waited for Scrappy to jog by before he started to follow him. He waited till they were about halfway to the village before he struck. "Excuse me…" The little Great Dane paused and turned around to see a dirty, disheveled man following him.

"Oh. Hang on a sec." He said, reaching into a pocket that shouldn't exist and pulling out a dollar. "Here you go. Hope it helps." Sigmund was caught somewhat flat footed by this, but decided to roll with it.

"Bless you, young pup." He said, taking the bill from him. "It's so nice to see such caring young folk."

"Ah, think nothing of it. You'd do the same for me if I were in your shoes." Scrappy told him with a smile.

"Of course, I….would!" In one swift motion, he made a grab for Scrappy's neck and swiped his collar before running off down the sidewalk.

"Ack! Hey!" The pup cried out as he gave chase. "Come back with my collar!" Sigmund pulled out his cell as the little dog pursued him, making a quiet phone call before he dove off the path into some bushes. "Oh no you don't! You aren't getting away that easy." Scrappy declared as he started to look through the bushes. To his surprise, the man he thought a homeless man was gone. "Huh? Where'd he go?" While the puppy was pondering what just happened, a dog catcher van pulled up behind him.

"Well, lookie here. A little lost stray." A man in a white coat and hat said as he emerged from the vehicle.

"Stray? Where?" Scrappy asked, looking up and down the road until he realized he didn't have a collar. "Whoa, wait, mister...I'm no stray!"

"A talking dog!? Just when you think you've seen it all…" The surprised dog catcher said, scratching his head. "But you certainly look like a stray."

"But I'm not. My collar was just stolen by this homeless guy." The dog catcher slowly looked up and scanned the area with this eyes.

"What homeless guy?" He asked, seeing no one in sight.

"He's around here somewhere...I swear…"

"Sorry little fella, but the law is the law." He said as he grabbed his net. "Even talking dogs need a license...I think."

"But-" Scrappy didn't even get a chance to say anything further, he was scooped up in the dog catcher's net. "Hey! Let me go! I'm innocent! Help!" He cried, but no one came to his aid as he was dumped into the back of the van and locked up.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Shaggy and Rita were talking about Shaggy's racing career while Scooby curled up in front of the not currently in service fireplace, Matches napping on his back. "Then, with a push of a button, our drill add-on came out and we tunneled our way into first." The foodaholic related, getting so into his story that he was making the motions of driving with his arms and hands.

"I never got to see that race. A shame we missed it. Pop Pop loved the funny car races back in the day." Rita said with a sigh. "Why did you give up racing?"

"Well, after the 'Monster Road Rally' in Transylvania, I decided it was a little too dangerous...so I went back to solving mysteries with Fred, Velma and Daphne."

"Hmmm. You know, my son mentioned you've solved mysteries. Were you like detectives or something?"

"Not really." He replied. "More like freelance private eyes. More often than not, we stumbled upon mysteries and end up solving them, getting paid in the process."

"Doesn't sound very stable, as work goes." Rita criticized.

"Yeah. Dad, a police officer, said the same thing. Probably why Mystery Inc disbanded a few times over our career. But we always made it work." Shaggy explained. Right as he finished speaking, the phone rang. Being closer to it, he picked it up. "Like, Grimwood's Finishing School."

"Shaggy! It's Scrappy! I need your help!" Scrappy's voice said over the phone, getting Scooby's attention. "I'm in the pound!"

"The pound! Zoinks! What are you doing there!?"

"Some bum swiped my collar and the dog catcher picked me up! Get down here quick and bail me out! There's little kids here and I'm not liking the way they're looking at me…."

"We'll be there in two shakes, Scrap!" Shaggy dropped the receiver, which fell off the table and hung suspended over the floor.

"Shaggy? What's wrong?" Rita asked worriedly.

"Scrappy's in the pound. Come on Scoob. We gotta get him out!"

"Rhe Round!? ROMING RAPPY!" Scooby screamed as he bolted for the door, Matches still laying in mid air for a few seconds before falling to the rug below.

"We'll make this as quick as possible, Mrs Loud! Be right back!" Shaggy yelled as he sped off after his faithful dog. Within seconds, Rita heard the Mystery Machine start up and speed off. Shaggy was in such a hurry, he didn't even close the front door, so the Loud Mother had to shut it for him.

"Mom? What happened?" Lincoln asked from the top of the stairs, with all the Grimwood Girls around him except for Gosuki. "We heard a lot of yelling..."

"I don't know all the details, but it sounds like Scrappy was taken to the pound." She replied, walking to the bottom of the stairs and looking up at them.

"The pound? Oh poor Scrappy…." Phantasma said sadly.

"Why would they take him to the pound?" Lincoln asked with a frown on his face. "He had his license, and would the rules even apply the same to talking dogs?" To those questions, Mrs Loud could only shrug.

"I think you have far greater things to worry about." Said a chilling, unfamiliar voice. Rita turned her head and the students leaned over the railing to see who had spoken. Standing beside the stairs, was a man in a brand new noble's outfit, with dirty blond hair made even dirtier by the dirt and mud that covered some of his face as well. He had a smirk on his face as he glanced upward at the boy and girls. One look at his face made Tanis scream in fright and scramble away from the railing.

"That….that's him, Lincoln! The man from my nightmare!" She cried, her eyes filling with tears of terror. Lincoln himself felt a powerful combination of fear and anger upon hearing that.

"...who are you and what are you doing here!?" Rita demanded, reaching for the nearest weapon she could (which was an umbrella in the umbrella stand).

"I am here to do my service for humanity." He replied in a cold voice. "As for who I am...I am Sigmund Lesrec."


	29. Chapter 29: The Storm part 1

_AN: I know I said it would take a while to get through, but since I knew pretty much how I wanted this part to go down (had it in mind since I started the story), and focused more on this story than my other ones, I was able to finish a bit faster than I expected. However, this is only the first part. The way I have it planned thus far, it will go for three parts. Can't promise I will have them out as soon as this one, but I will try. Also, thank you everyone who has been enjoying this story so far._

* * *

The Storm part 1

"S...Sigmund Lesrec!?" Rita stammered, her hand on the handle of the umbrella she had just taken from the stand.

"The monster hunter…" Gila gasped in horror.

"Indeed. Now, if you will excuse me, ma'am...I have a job to do." He said, taking a step toward Rita.

"Stay back!" She snapped, holding the umbrella out like a sword at him.

"Madam, I don't wish to hurt you…" Sigmund said in a soft, threatening voice.

"Girls! Lincoln! Run!" Mrs Loud yelled up the stairs. The children didn't need telling twice and they quickly fled down the hall. The monster hunter sighed and tried to simply walk past the Loud Matriarch. She responded by swinging the rain reflector at him like it were a club. With lightning reflexes, he raised his arm to block the strike and, with a single chop, knocked the makeshift weapon from her hands. Disarmed, but not down, Rita threw a punch at his face. He caught her fist in his hand and twisted her arm behind her back, causing her to wince and gasp in pain.

"You're making this far more difficult for yourself than it needs to be." He said sternly. "Stop resisting and stay out of my way."

"Leave them alone!" Rita screamed, trying to kick back at his shins. Sigmund sighed again and struck her in the back of her head with his free hand. That one hit was enough to knock her to the ground and out cold.

"...clearly mesmerized by the monsters." He rationalized to himself as he pulled out some chains. He moved her unconscious form to a nearby chair and used the chains to bind her to it. "There. That will keep you safe. Now to ensure the monsters can't escape." He said to himself, pulling a cube shaped device from his belt pouch.

* * *

"Please be safe. Please be safe…" Lincoln quietly prayed as he and his friends from Grimwood ran for their lives down the longer than they seemed halls of the second floor. He was deeply worried about his mother; this man was dangerous after all, and his own mother took him on. He glanced back and, for a moment, saw no sign of pursuit. Seconds later, though, he heard the sound of Sigmund's shoes as he vaulted up the stairs and started chasing after them. Seeing the evil man behind them, even at a distance, made Lincoln see red. He haunted his little mummy sister (albeit indirectly), hurt Zanya, threatened his friends, and now (as near as he knew) hurt his mother. "Everyone, you keep running! I'll hold him off!" Lincoln called out to the girls in front of him.

"What!? Are you crazy, Linc!?" Winnie yelled back as she scampered down the hall on all fours.

"No. Out of all of us, I'm probably the safest bet against him since I'm not a monster. Odds are he won't go all out against me. I'll stall him as long as I can, so you can find Suki and evacuate the school." The white haired boy reasoned, though he hoped on the inside that he was right. Before the girls could be start arguing with him, he skidded to a stop and turned to face the mad hunter.

"Lincoln….be careful…." Sibella uttered as she looked back at her mortal love, standing ready to face Sigmund. It took the adult monster slayer only a few seconds to reach Lincoln, who refused to budge from the center of the hall, forcing him to stop.

"...stand aside, young man." He ordered firmly.

"What did you do to my mother!?" The middle Loud demanded to know.

"She was your mother? My apologies, but I had to knock her out. She'll be fine. I left her restrained downstairs. Now stand aside." Sigmund instructed once more.

"No. I won't let you hurt any more of my friends." Lincoln replied, anger clear in his voice.

"Friends? Kid…."

"My name is Lincoln Loud. Not kid." Sigmund raised an eyebrow at the boy, quite surprised he had the nerve to talk back to him like that.

"...very well, Mr Loud." He said with a slight smirk. "As I was saying, monsters aren't friends. They are beasts. Mindless, bloodthirsty killers. A blight upon humanity."

"...this coming from a man who senselessly murders and harms innocent monsters. And why do you do it?" Lincoln inquired, his anger rising.

"It is my duty, Mr Loud. My duty to rid the world of ALL monsters." He answered simply. The two stood in silence for a couple seconds, Lincoln waiting for him to continue with SOME kind of further justification for his irrational hate. When none came, Lincoln's blood started boiling even more.

"That's it? THAT'S your reason!? A monster didn't kill your parents!?" Sigmund shook his head. "Attacked you as a child!?" Another negative response. "Took your one true love!? Kicked your puppy!? Stole your bike!? Made fun of your family!? NOTHING!? Just...it's your flipping duty!? And how is it YOUR duty!? Who made you judge, jury and executioner!?"

"You do not understand, Mr Loud. I have the blood of Van Helsing in me. It's my destiny to protect humanity from these beasts."

"That...is the STUPIDEST THING I EVER HEARD IN ALL MY LIFE!" Lincoln roared in absolute fury. "Just because you're somehow related to Van Helsing means you have to hate monsters!?"

"Like I said. You wouldn't understand, being a child. It's out of my hands." Originally, Lincoln's plan was to stall him with conversation long enough for the girl's to get away. However, he didn't anticipate him to say something so infuriating. Now, he didn't care about the plan. He was WAY too angry. He wanted to hurt him. He ran right at Sigmund, rearing his fist back and punching at him with all his might. With hardly any effort, the hunter swatted his attack away. This didn't stop Lincoln as he continued his furious assault. His training had paid off, as his combo attacks were flowing nicely, even with as fast as he was attacking. However, despite his hard work, Sigmund had several years more experience in combat than him, and was able to dodge and repel his attacks with relative ease. The one son was quickly realizing just how out-matched he was as his mind became less clouded by anger.

'I can't even touch this guy…' He thought to himself as the monster hunter used his arm to block a roundhouse kick. '...and while I may have a few defensive spells, I don't know any offensive ones. Dang it, Lincoln...you spent so much time covering one of your weaknesses, you forgot to play to your strength….'

"Are you done yet?" Sigmund asked, looking more annoyed than anything else about this encounter. Lincoln's mind raced as he tried to find a solution for this problem. Then it hit him: just because his spells weren't meant for offensive purposes doesn't mean he couldn't use them offensively.

"Aerosa…." Lincoln chanted, a sphere of wind appearing in his hand. "...phenotar!" He then hurled the ball of air into Sigmund's face. He wasn't expecting him to know or use magic, so this sudden attack staggered the hunter, though it didn't hurt him. What did hurt him was Lincoln slamming his elbow into his midsection while he was distracted, followed by an uppercut to the chin, sending Sigmund stumbling back a few inches. The white haired boy grinned, feeling proud of that. However, his grin faded when Sigmund straightened back up and chuckled.

"Not bad, Loud. You surprised me there." He told him, not even winded by the attack.

"But...that should have left you…"

"Please...I fight monsters MUCH stronger than YOU for a living. It'll take more than that to even slow me down." He responded. Lincoln gulped, feeling pretty nervous now. Even more so when Sigmund drew a sword from his cape. He was ARMED too!? Lincoln was terrified, but he refused to back down. "You have gumption and nerve, Lincoln Loud. I'll give you that. But your convictions surely cannot be as strong as mine. Now, get out of my way and let me do what's best for humanity….or else I will have to hurt you." Lincoln's eyes darted around the hall, soon falling upon the long rug that ran across the length of the hall. He remembered what Lana said about using everything and anything as a weapon for self defense. He stepped to one side, off of the carpet. "Very good, Lincoln. You did the right, smart thing." Sigmund said with a smirk, about to move on.

"I can't say the same for you." Lincoln snapped back, swinging his two hands to one side, which sent the entire rug further down the hall right into the man, knocking over some furniture in the process. While surprised by this, Sigmund was still able to slash apart the heavy carpet, but was still hindered by the pieces of carpet. Lincoln took the opportunity to charge at the mad monster hunter and land a flying kick against him, sending him flat on his back. No more than a second after he landed, Sigmund lept to his feet and decided it was time to take the offensive himself. He sprung forward and swung at the boy with his sword. Lincoln frantically dodged to one side, only to be kicked backwards, landing on an overturned table and breaking it into pieces.

"I didn't want to have to do that, Loud. You FORCED me to do that." He said as he approached the pained young man groaning on the pieces of the table. He raised his sword over the boy, who rolled away before the blade came down. Lincoln blinked as he saw that blade had come down sideways. It seemed he was right; the hunter wasn't going to try and kill him, just debilitate him. Lincoln took the opportunity to grab one of the broken table legs and held it like a club. He swung the makeshift weapon at the mad hunter, but Sigmund easily blocked it with his own sword. The table leg was getting more and more damaged as the fight drew on, until Sigmund stepped back from Lincoln and smiled wryly at him. "...perhaps I was mistaken. Your convictions are a strong as my own." The white haired Loud lowered his weapon slightly, wondering what he meant. "You are willing to fight a clearly superior opponent...one who could kill you in an instant if he really wanted to...to save some miserable monsters." In a move that surprised Lincoln, he sheathed his sword. "...I concede to you, Lincoln Loud."

"...what?"

"I concede. I don't wish to fight you any further." He elaborated. "You're ready to fight to your own death, but I do not wish to kill you. My only option is clear to me." The Loud warlock could hardly believe his ears. In fact, he didn't believe them, or him. Not for a second. Especially not after he held his hand out to him. The boy just stared at the man's hand for a moment. Against his better judgement, he slowly, cautiously reached out his own hand out. Sigmund firmly took hold of Lincoln's hand, shook it once….then yanked on his arm, pulling him forward before landing a hard blow to the back of his head with the side of his hand. Lincoln fell face first onto the hard, wooden floor, out like a light. "Sorry, Lincoln...I respect your tenacity, even if it is grossly misplaced...but I won't let this opportunity to destroy these monsters pass." He said before he ran off down the hall after the girls.

A few seconds after he left, the young man on the floor opened one eye, looking in the direction he knew Sigmund had gone. Seeing no sign of him, he started to get back up, rubbing the back of his head. Wrestling with Lynn so much taught him a lot...including how to play possum. This man was even more dangerous than he thought. He needed help. He pulled out his phone, then realized he never got Mr Talon's number. 'Haven't been on the ball lately….' He thought to himself. He goes with plan B and texted his sisters.

 **Lincoln: SOS. Send Detective Talon.**

* * *

At that moment, Lori and Leni were strolling in the hall, chatting with one another as they had just finished their last class before lunch. They were just discussing a test Leni had to take in algebra when she felt her phone shake. She blinked and took it out to check it. "Hey! It's from Lincoln!"

"Oh? What'd he say?" Lori asked with a smile.

"...Sos? Why is he asking us for sauce?" A confused Leni inquired. Lori raised an eyebrow and leaned in for a look. Her face went pale.

"Leni! That's not sauce! It's SOS! Lincoln's in trouble!" Lori explained, trying her best not to scream. Leni gasped, nearly dropping her phone.

"Linky's in trouble!? Oh no!"

"Shhh….we need to help him….you hurry to the office and explain to them we have a family emergency. I'll text Dad and let him know we're all coming home and tell Detective Talon what's up…" Lori instructed, trying to keep a cool head. Leni nodded and ran off, Lori hurriedly passing Lincoln's message to Trent. "Hang in there, Lincoln. We're coming…."

* * *

Back in Grimwood, the girls were soon able to find Gosuki, who was wandering the halls looking for them. She had heard all sorts of commotion and was trying to figure out what was happening. When they finally met, Winnie and Sibella tried to coax her to run, while she was trying to get answers. "Suki, we really don't have time for this.." Sibella said frantically as she tried to pull the young kaiju along.

"But...what's going on? Why are you all so frightened?" Suki asked, not budging from her spot.

"There's a bad man here and he aims to kill us! Now move!" Winnie said, loudly and bluntly, pushing on the reptile girl's back.

"A bad man?" The daughter of Godzilla looked down the hall, just as Sigmund turned the corner. "You mean him?"

"Oh shazbot…" Milly growled, reaching for her raygun. Sibella and Phantasma both looked horrified, not just at seeing the monster hunter, but at the fact Lincoln was nowhere to be seen. Suki frowned and stomped her way between him and the other Grimwood girls.

"Suki? What are you-?" Tanis was about to ask, but then Gosuki spoke up.

"You there! Who do you think you are!?" Sigmund just stared at the young kaiju with a look that combined bewilderment and possibly fear. He hadn't seen her in his surveillance of the house, so he had no idea what to expect, but something about her seemed horribly familiar.

"What manner of monster are you!?"

"I am Goskui, daughter of Gojira." She declared angrily.

'Gojira!? As in….Godzilla!?' He thought in great concern. He may be a mighty monster hunter. He could handle a vampire, a werewolf, a reanimated, or something like that. But the King of the Giant Monsters? Noooooo thank you.

"Now you answer my question! Who are you and what gives you the-" Her chew out was cut short when Sigmund quick drew a hand crossbow from somewhere in his cloak, shooting a dart right into her arm. "Ow! Hey! What was that fooooooooooor….?" Suki started to feel really dizzy, looking unsteady on her feet.

"Suki? What's wrong?" Elsa asked before the kaiju girl flopped to the ground, causing the hall to shake slightly from the impact. The girls gasp, but calm down a little when they noticed their friend was still breathing. She was just sedated; the safest option Sigmund thought, at least until he could get the resources to fight one as powerful as Godzilla. He then turned his attention to the Grimwood girls, reaching for a sterling silver automatic pistol at his side. Before he could draw it, Milly fired upon him with her raygun. He was forced to take cover, giving Elsa and Sibella the chance to get Suki and get her out of dodge. The little martian provided cover for them as she back down the hall, Sigmund taking a few shots back at her until she rounded the next corner.

"Keep moving!" Milly shouted to her friends as she took up a position about mid way down the corridor, behind a suit of armor. "I'll cover you!"

"Hang on a sec...Phanty, help me out a moment." Winnie said with a grin that said she had something sneaky in mind. While the other girls continued to move Suki along, Phantasma picked Winnie up and helped her hide up near the ceiling. Meanwhile, the monster hunter stopped right at the corner, using it as a shield as he prepared to do battle with the mini martian. He quickly leans out, at about the same time M-149 had. Having the quicker reflexes, he fired first, just as the martian ducked back behind her barrier. She quickly returned fire, able to get more shots off, but none of them hit as he had retreated back. This stalemate lasted for a few seconds, until a lucky bullet grazed Milly's helmet, causing a small chunk to break off.

The little martian was thrown into a panic, trying to cover the hole with her hands. Martians were able to breathe oxygen for a time, but too much wasn't good for them (hence why she always wore her helmet). Because her hands were occupied, she could no longer fight back: a fact Sigmund intended to capitalize on. He strode around the corner as the young martian tried to flee, aiming the barrel at her back. Before he could pull the trigger, Winnie gave a rage filled howl as she was dropped right onto his head. The surprise attack caused him to drop his pistol and try to pull the werewolf girl currently punching and clawing at his head and face off of him. Seeing an opportunity, Milly threw caution to the wind, pulled one of her hands off the hole in her helmet, and fired her own weapon at his. The silver pistol was disintegrated the moment the beam touched it, reduced to worthless dust. Pleased with her work, she replaced her hand over the hole and fled the scene, just as Winnie was thrown off the hunter's noggin. She snickered as she ran away on all fours the way Sigmund had just came.

"Damn, these girls are more cunning than I thought…." Sigmund growled, checking his face for blood (of which there was none. Winnie hadn't aimed to draw blood, just throw him off). "Well, I wanted a challenge….careful what you wish for and all that." He looked toward where Winnie was still running and where Milly had escaped. Given the choice between a hindered martian and werewolf with a head start, he opted to go after Milly, drawing his sword again. Winnie looked back to see if she was being chased just as she rounded the corner at the opposite end of the hall. In her lapse of attention, she ran right into none other than Lincoln. The one son fell onto his tailbone in the collision.

"Whoa...sorr-Lincoln!?"

"Heh...hey Winnie." He said, just as the werewolf girl gave him a big hug.

"You're ok!" She cheered as he hugged her back.

"Yeah...he tried to knock me out, but between you and Lynn, it takes more than you think to knock me out." He told her with a soft chuckle, right before he went full serious mode. "Where are the others? Are they ok?"

"I think so." Winnie told him as they separated. "Suki got tranqed, I think, and Milly's helmet took a hit, but no serious injuries."

"Good….listen, head to my room, grab the orb, and get out of here." He instructed her as he got back to his feet.

"What? Uh uh. No way." Winnie said flatly, swinging her arms to show that wasn't going to happen. "I'm not leaving without everyone else. End of story."

"...had a feeling you were gonna say that." Lincoln replied, a soft smile appearing on his face. "...because I'd say the same thing." Right at that point, they heard a near deafening scream of absolute rage. "What was that!?"

"It sounded like Elsa!"

"Let's move.." Lincoln said, moving as quick and quiet as he could down the hall.

* * *

Seconds earlier, Gila and Tanis were wrapping up Milly's broken bubble with some extra bandages, while the others had stashed Suki in one of the empty bedrooms. They reasoned she would be safe there for the time being, out of his sight and out of his mind. "So, what's our next plan of action?" Gila asked as she tied a bow to finish the wrap job.

"...our best bet of escape is probably Lincoln's teleportation orb." Sibella said. "But we can't leave Suki, Mrs Loud or Lincoln here with that maniac…"

"...if I could just get a good shot on him, I could end the threat once and for all…" Milly complained, a little groggy from the extra oxygen.

"I sincerely doubt that." Sigmund said with a sinister smirk as he stepped out in front of the girl, a few feet down the hall. The disoriented alien reached for her weapon again, but this time, the hunter was prepared. He tossed a small metal cylinder right at them. By the time Milly had her ray drawn, the canister burst in a bright flash of light and a loud bang. The Grimwood girls were forced to cover their eyes, and the bang had left a ringing in their ears. However, the bright flash and loud noise caused a sort of sensory overload in the young martian, which made her pass out. Tanis slowly uncovered her eyes to see the monster hunter moved closer. Reacting quickly, she lashed out with a roll of her own bandages. They wrapped around his ankle and, with a powerful tug, she pulled his leg out from under him and knocked him onto his back.

"I got him!"

"That's what you think." He replied, grabbing the wrapping and pulling hard on it. Tanis didn't have time to rip it off her before she was pulled off her own feet and flying toward Sigmund. The mad hunter proceed to back hand slap her hard across the face, causing to slam into the right hand wall and bounce off, landing on her front on the ground near her friends.

"Tanis!" Gila cried as the remaining monster girls ran over to the groaning and crying mummy child. Seeing Tanis like this, in pain and crying, along with the pain caused by the flashbang, and knowing/thinking three of her friends were out of commision thanks to this creep. caused something inside Elsa to snap. Her eyes started to glow and electricity started to arc through her body and hair.

"You MONSTER!" She screamed as she charged right at the rising specist. Sigmund retaliated with a swipe of his blade, but Elsa was having none of it. With one punch, she shattered the weapon into pieces. This, the hunter was clearly not expecting, as he had a look of surprise on his face just before the franken-teen belted him across the face. He staggered back just as her fist met with his gut, making him cough as the air was knocked out of him. Elsa didn't let up, just outright wailing on the fiend in her rage. The reanimated girl's friends just stared on in shock, as did Winnie and Lincoln when they rounded the bend. They had never seen her angry before, much less this angry. It...was actually kind of scary. After Elsa finished tenderizing the delusional man, she grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes were still glowing bright white as her grip tightened. Sigmund was choking as he tried to remove her hand from his neck with one hand, and reached into his cloak with the other. From within it, he pulled out a taser the size of a dagger hilt.

"Elsa! Look out!" Winnie cried, able to see the device. However, Elsa didn't seem to hear her or was too furious to, and Malora's uncle made his move. He thrust the taser into one of her neck bolts. Elsa started to shake, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head as the electricity surged into the bolt and into her. Her grip immediately slackened right before she fell to the ground.

"Cough….not bad, monster…." He choked out, holding his red throat. "...but I was the one who nearly slew Frankenstein's monster. I know how to deal with the likes of you." He reached behind himself and drew a second sword. Before he could even lift it, however, a chair collided with his side, exploding into a shower of splinters and pieces. Infuriated, he turned to see who had thrown in. "You!?" He bellowed (or as much as he could with a sore throat and gasping for air) when he saw Lincoln standing there, glaring at him. The white haired boy had two more chairs floating around him, which flew at the hunter when he gestured toward him. Sigmund was ready this time, and used his sword to destroy the furniture before it could hit him. What he didn't realize was the chairs were a diversion. He never saw the sofa that was flying at him like a missle. It plowed right into him, knocking him right back and sent him crashing through a window. Lincoln ran over to Elsa to make sure she was alright, while Winnie looked out at the window as Sigmund fell toward the ground below.

"Hit the ground. Hit the ground. Hit the ground." Winnie hoped quietly. Unfortunately for her, the hunter landed in the moat, not the trapped ground. "...dang it." She heard a window open from nearby, seeing Gila climbing out. "Gila? What are you doing?"

"He's on my turf now." She said seriously, before she dove off the sill and into the warm, murky water below. As soon as she entered the water, she spotted Sigmund as he reoriented himself. She darted right at him, thinking this was the perfect time to try her eel style. The hunter never saw her coming, thanks to the lack of visibility and not being used to being in such waters. She impacted his side with her head before following up with a flip kick to his face. Angered, he pulled a knife from his coat, but the creature's daughter was already swimming away from him, before turning back and speeding toward him like a torpedo. Between her speed and the muddy water, he couldn't put up an effective defense. She kept right on crashing into him at random angles, usually following up with punches and kicks. While her attacks weren't too damaging to the fully grown human, she had a few advantages that he did not: she could breathe underwater, and she wasn't alone. The moat crocodiles were starting to converge on them, looking at Sigmund like he were a chicken nugget. Unable to stop Gila, Sigmund was forced to do something desperate. He pulled out his taser again and, right when the fish girl struck him, he activated it, causing it to shock not just Gila, but himself, as well as frightening the crocs.

The very shaken and tired monster hunter just barely managed to get back to the surface, clinging to the dirt shore of the moat. He was gasping and wheezing as he looked back to see the unconscious Gila floating face down in the water behind him. Still holding his dagger from earlier, he thought he could at least try and slay her, but Sibella, in bat form, had grabbed the aquatic child and flew back up to the open window with her. Swearing under his breath, he took a moment to regain his strength before he pulled a rope and grappling hook from his cape. He couldn't risk climbing onto dry land, as he knew it was still trapped, so he had to hook the sill of the very window he had been knocked out of and climb back up, before the carnivorous reptiles could return.

* * *

Back up in the hall, Sibella and Phantasma were checking over Gila to make sure she was going to be alright, with Elsa laying beside Milly and the crying Tanis, whom the Loud warlock was trying to comfort. Lincoln was growing more and more worried. With around half of their friends out of commission and that lunatic STILL not giving up, this was getting beyond dangerous. However, as more of their friends were losing consciousness, escape was becoming more and more difficult for them. As the five of them were discussing options, the hunter had thrown himself back through the window, trying to land on his feet, but ending up on his knees instead. "Oh, come on! How do you have the strength to come back after that!?" Lincoln objected upon seeing Sigmund again.

"I've trained most of my life to fight monsters, Loud." He replied. "Such requires significant endurance, dogged perseverance, and tolerance for pain like you wouldn't believe." He got back to his feet, but before he could make a move, the Phantom's daughter flew at him. She landed a kick right to his face, making him flinch, but not much else. Out of reflex, he swung back, but as she was a ghost, that was a useless move. Phanty continued to float around him, punching and kicking him as she went. He had swung back once or twice, but quickly realized how pointless it was. What he didn't realize was that while she was more or less annoying him, she was also picking his pockets: knives, knuckles, a few clips of bullets, whatever she could reach, she tossed right out the window.

"Thatta girl, Phanty…" Winnie muttered with a smirk. "Lemme give you a hand with that. AAAAAAWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The werewolf girl pounced upon Sigmund while he was distracted by her ghostly friend, socking him in the face a few times before reaching into his coat and tried to relieve him of a long, curved dagger. However, the moment her hands touched the hilt of the weapon, her hands started smoking as she screamed in pain. This gave Sigmund an opening to punch her off of him and right into Lincoln's hand.

"Winnie! Are you ok!?" He asked in deep concern. Winnie was sobbing and whimpering, her hands looking VERY badly burned; so much that it made the one son cringe in horror. Phanty was so stunned that she had ceased her assault; a lapse the hunter exploited. He pulled a small, lavender crystal from his pocket and muttered some words under his breath. The spectral girl found herself being pulled into the crystal as if it were a black hole. She screamed with fright and tried to fly away, but it's pull was too strong.

"Phanty!" Sibella, Tanis, Winnie and Lincoln all cried.

"Enough is enough!" Sigmund yelled, looking like a man at the end of his patience. "I'm only going to say this once! Surrender yourselves and die, or I shatter this, destroying her very soul!" He held the crystal up to show them the tiny Phantasma beating against the side of the crystal, crying hysterically. Lincoln could feel his fury building again, but he didn't dare act this time; or else Phanty would be lost forever. He slowly put Winnie down and held up his hands in surrender, slowly followed by Sibella, Tanis, and finally Winnie. Sigmund smirked as he lowered the hand still holding the gem. "About time you wised up...oh, and little werewolf...did you really think I would neglect to carry silver weapons on my person?" He taunted as he showed Winnie the very dagger that had burned her. Winnie sniffled and growled at him, which only made the cruel man laugh. While he was gloating, Lincoln saw a chance. His grip on the crystal was loose. He quickly raised his palm upward and Phanty's prison slipped right out of his hand. Sigmund noticed this and made a grab at it, but Sibella noticed too and sprang into action, leaping at the monster hunter and sending him flying back with a flying kick to the chest. He had collided hard with the wall just as the crystal holding Phanty landed gently in Lincoln's hand.

"I gotcha, Phanty...it's gonna be ok…" He said softly as he looked at the sobbing spirit. He looked back to Tanis, who was helping Winnie mend her injured hands. He set the crystal gently down with Elsa. "Could you two keep an eye on this and keep her safe? I'm going to go help Sibella…" The pair nodded lightly as Lincoln stood back up and turned in time to see Sibella hurl two spheres of energy at Sigmund. The hunter rolled out of the way, the spheres causing a dent and a hole to appear in the wall. He, in response, hurled a knife at her. This was when Lincoln intervened, using his levitation magic to send the blade into the ceiling. Sibella smiled at him as he leaped over by her side; a smile he returned in kind before they sprang into action.

Sigmund pulled yet another throwing knife (making Lincoln wonder where he was keeping them all) from his jacket, but chose to use it for melee combat instead. He thrusted at Dracula's daughter, who easily avoided it, which gave Lincoln an opening to kick him in the gut. He turned his attention to the middle Loud, swiping at his face with the knife. He sprang back to avoid getting slashed, leading to Sibella kicking the weapon from Sigmund's hand. With the hunter disarmed, Lincoln and Sibella both attacked him simultaneously; both using the fighting techniques they learned from Lynn and Shaggy. Under normal circumstances, Malora's uncle would be able to handle two opponents at once. However, being kind of tired, and fighting a vampiress, he found himself losing control of the fight. He opted to focus his defense on Sibella, since he already knew Lincoln didn't have the strength to really harm him. Nevertheless, the constant barrage from the Loud warlock was irritating him, throwing off his rhythm and letting the vampiress get a few good hits in. They finished up their combined attack with a teamwork kick, sending the hunter skidding back. The moment he came to a stop, he pulled his hand crossbow back out, pointing at them with fire in his eyes.

'This guy is a walking arsenal…' Lincoln thought as Sibella pushed him aside before diving away to avoid the bolt herself. While he was on the ground, and Sigmund was reloading, the white haired boy conjured a light sphere into his hand. "Hey Sigmund!" He shouted. "Keep your eye on the birdy!" He hurled the orb at him. Thinking it was projectile of some kind, the hunter fired his next bolt into the ball of light. The moment the tip pierced it, the sphere exploded in a flash of blinding light. Since he wasn't expecting this (unlike the lovers currently facing him), Sigmund got an eyeful, causing him to roar in pain and cover his eyes. Being blind, he never saw Sibella's next two magic missiles; the first hitting him like Elsa's fist, and the second exploding upon contact, knocking him to the ground on his back.

"Give it up, Lesrec…" Sibella said seriously, a ball of fire floating at her fingertips. "...or this will get much worse for you. Leave Grimwood's peacefully and never return…"

"Ugh….you think...you scare me, Miss Dracula? Your father can't even manage that…." Sigmund growled as his vision started to return, a tiny ball slipping into his hand from his sleeve.

"The police are on their way, Mr Lesrec." Lincoln informed him, his arms crossed. "If you stay, you're going to be arrested for murder, among other things."

"They are?" Sibella looked rather surprised to Lincoln.

"Yes, they are." He replied, though the look he gave her in return was a 'I assume as much' look. 'In hindsight, should have called the cops after texting my sisters to tell Mr Talon...really not my day for brilliance…' He thought to himself, just as Sigmund flipped back to his feet and tossed the pellet at their feet. It released a thick cloud of smoke upon contact with the ground, filling the area around them with an obscuring cloud in seconds.

"A smoke bomb!? That's cheating!" Winnie shouted, shaking her bandaged fist at the cloud.

"Sibella? Sibella!? Are you al-AUGH!" Lincoln couldn't see in the smoke, but he could feel the kick that sent him careening into a side table, busting it when he collided with it.

"Lincoln!?" The vampiress called out, trying to find her human love in the smoke. Before she could, she felt something sharp pierce through her hand as it was pinned to the wall. She screamed, right when a second bolt pinned her other hand to the same wall. As the smoke started to clear, her eyes widened as she saw the form of Sigmund pointing his crossbow right at her, with a wooden stake loaded into it.

"And now you die!" He yelled, pulling the trigger. Everything seemed to travel in slow motion at the wooden spike flew through the air, aimed right at Sibella's heart. She closed her eyes, bracing for impact. Before it could hit her though, Lincoln leaped into its path, letting it strike him instead.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!" Lincoln screamed in pain as the stake pierced into him, forcing him back into Sibella and knocking him to the ground.

"LINCOLN!" Tanis and Sibella both screeched, tears spilling from the little mummy's face. While she couldn't see things perfectly, she could see the silhouette of Sibella pinned to the wall, Lincoln slumped on the ground at her feet with something sticking out of his chest, and Sigmund standing in front of them. Almost exactly like her nightmare from so long ago.

"Idiot boy!" The hunter growled as he reached for a new stake. Before he could, however, a lasso of bandages wrapped around him, binding his arms to his sides. "What the!?"

"GET OVER HERE!" The little mummy shrieked, yanking hard on the wrapping she had in her hand. Sigmund was pulled right off his feet, to his shock, and he was thrown into the wall to Tanis' left...hard! Then she threw him against the right wall. Even harder. Winnie's jaw dropped as she saw her friend, and the youngest of them all, mashing this fiend between two walls, madder than anyone had ever seen her. After a few seconds of sending Sigmund between two walls, she started slamming him against the floor in front of her and behind her. She finished up by twirling the hunter over her head before hurling him to the end of the hall, the impact of which caused the walls to shake, Sigmund falling to the floor, seemingly out. Tanis took a few heaving breaths before she ran over to Lincoln and Sibella as the smoke dissipated, sobbing uncontrollably. "Lincoln...it's just like in my nightmare…."

"Not quite…" Lincoln replied with a groan and a weak smile, looking at her. Tanis looked over at him and gasped. She thought the stake had hit him in the chest, but it was stuck in his left shoulder. It was still bleeding a bit, but it could have been much worse. A smile started to spread across her face as she hugged the wounded boy.

"I was so worried, big brother! I thought you were going to end up dead, just like my nightmare!"

"Actually, that may be what saved me." Lincoln told her as he slowly got to his feet. "You warned me this would happen, so I was more careful with how I positioned myself."

"Lincoln...you are some kind of insane genius…" Sibella said, her own eyes swimming in tears, a big smile on her face.

"Hehe...a little bit, I guess." He said, turning to help Sibella out of the wall.

"Guys! Look MMMPH!" Winnie tried to yell. Lincoln turned his head in time to see Winnie get hurled right at Tanis, hitting her in the head and sending the two into a heap, out like a light.

"Tanis! Winnie!" Before Lincoln could react, he was shoulder checked by Sigmund, who was so angry, he was almost frothing at the mouth. The white haired boy was thrown to the floor, the stake being driven deep upon impact.

"Agh!" He gasped, turning quick to gaze into the bruised face of Sigmund Lesrec. "How are you still moving after all that!?"

"I told you...endurance...and pain tolerance." He growled. "And now, you tell me...why are you defending these beasts!?"

"They aren't beasts! They are my friends…" His eyes look toward Sibella, then back at Sigmund. "...and the girls I love." Upon hearing that, the mad monster hunter looked positively disgusted.

"You….LOVE monsters!?" He inquired in abject horror. "That is the most disgusting, perverse...that is betrayal to your own kind!"

"If being human means I have to be like you, then I don't want to be human!"

"...you don't deserve to live any more, Loud…." He told the boy in a deadly serious voice. "...but first things first." He turned back to Sibella, loading a new stake into his bow before pointing it at her heart once more.


	30. Chapter 30: The Storm part 2

The Storm part 2

Earlier, back in Royal Woods High, Lori was already inside Vanzilla, getting it warmed up and ready. She looked out at the front entrance, tapping her foot on the floor mat impatiently, hoping she would get out soon. Just then, Leni and Luna came rushing out of the building and practically leaped right into the car. "I guess you got the same message, Luna?"

"Right you are, Lor. I was just telling the office there was a family emergency when Leni came in screaming about the same thing. Think it gave my story some credit." Luna responded.

"That was lucky." Lori commented. "Buckle up. We're getting the others, ASAP."

"Lori..why are you calling our sisters a sap?" Leni inquired.

"...don't have time for this…" The oldest sister muttered before she stepped on the gas and drove off toward Royal Woods Middle School. Meanwhile, Leni had her phone out and was sending a text.

"Texting Pop, Leni?" The rock and roll Loud asked.

"No. I'm telling Ronnie Anne that Lincoln is in trouble."

"What!?" Luna and Lori exclaimed.

"What? She'll want to help." The kind, but dim teen replied. Her older sister sighed, not wishing to argue as she drove. A few minutes later, she stopped in front of the middle school, where Lynn and Luan were waiting. Lori assumed they got the message as well, so she didn't question it when they jumped in.

"Floor it, sister! Lincoln needs us!" Lynn exclaimed as she buckled her belt.

"We just need to get the others and Dad." Lori said, gunning the engine as soon as the remaining teens were in and settled. Just like at the Middle School, Lucy, Lana, Lola and Lisa were all waiting out front, Lisa looking at her watch when Lori skidded to a stop.

"A full four seconds sooner than I estimated." The little scientist stated. "Under normal circumstances, I would scold you for possibly exceeding the speed limit to get here in such record time. However, given the circumstances, I suppose it can be-"

"Move it, Egghead!" Lynn snapped, yanking the four year old into the van, the others pouring in right behind her before Vanzilla roared off.

"Does anyone know why Lincoln sent out the SOS?" Lola asked, sounding very nervous.

"Since Linc asked us to call Detective Talon, I can only think of one reason he would…" Luna commented, her face hardening.

"...the dark soul has found them…" Lucy finished her thought for her, shuddering a little herself.

"I think so…." Lori agreed, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was gripping the steering wheel. "Which is why we need to hurry…" She drove as fast as she dared to pick her father up at the restaurant, before speeding off to home.

"What exactly is going on!?" Lynn Sr asked frantically after he had gotten his seatbelt on.

"Mere moments ago, father, we received this message from Lincoln…" Lisa started to explain, showing her father her own phone. "...in said message was the international distress signal, along with a request to send Detective Talon. As such, the most reasonable reasoning for this is that, as much as we don't want to think about it...Sigmund Lesrec has found his way to Grimwood's school…."

"What!? Are they ok!? Your mother, Lincoln, the girls!?"

"We don't know, Dad...and we won't know until we get there." Lori responded, her eyes glued to the road.

"Get there…? But Grimwood's is hours away, and you're going the wrong way."

"No we're not." Lucy said in a deadpan voice. "We're headed home...we have a faster way to get there…"

* * *

Meanwhile, hours away in Great Lakes City, Ronnie Anne was digging through her dresser frantically, sending clothing all over the place. "Where is it? Where is it?" She muttered, shutting the drawer before opening another. "It has to be in here some...Aha!" She exclaimed as she pulled a slingshot from her dresser. It was small, but made of sturdy wood. 'Haven't used this baby since I was four years old...and got grounded till for a month for breaking a window with it…' She thought to herself. She had her weapon; now she needed ammunition. She continued to dig around until she found a bag of marbles. "Huh...when did I get these?" She wondered briefly. "Doesn't matter...not ideal, but it'll do…" She was about to shut the dresser when she noticed something else in there: a small white crystal on a string. She remembered that her grandmother Rosa had given this to her some time ago to protect her. At the time, she didn't believe in that mumbo jumbo. Now, though, she has a boyfriend who is literally a warlock, and is not only friends with, but is dating real monsters...maybe there is something to it after all. She grabbed the crystal and put it into her pocket. Thinking she was as ready as she could get, she grabbed her skateboard and ran over to the teleportation orb Lincoln had given her. "I'm coming, Lincoln…." She said as she touched the orb and, seconds later, vanished from sight.

* * *

Moments earlier, back in Royal Woods, Vanzilla was already parked in the driveway and the interior of the house was abuzz with activity. The girls had all gone to their rooms to arm themselves for what they expected to find, and Lynn Sr was trying to text Rita, praying to get some kind of sign that she was ok. However, no such message came to him. He was a bundle of nerves when his nine daughters came downstairs, most of them carrying a different weapon: a golf club, a baseball bat, a hockey stick, etc. For some reason that her sisters didn't question, Leni had opted to bring a container of pasta sauce. "Alright...is everyone ready?" Lori asked, holding her nine iron tightly.

"Hold on...we aren't all going, are we?" Their father spoke up, looking toward the youngest of his girls.

"Uh...yeah we are?" Lana said, looking up at her father as if it was obvious.

"Oh no. Stop right there!" He said in his best attempt to sound authoritative. "I understand you all want to help, but if this guy is there...he's a killer, and I am not-"

"Sorry Dad, but we literally don't have time for this." Lori interrupted, grabbing his arm with her free hand. "Lucy, do the honors." The sisters all joined hands as Lucy touched the magical sphere. Their father continued to try and protest as the whole group of them momentarily vanished from existence.

* * *

Less than a second later, the Louds all found themselves in Lincoln's room inside the school, everyone shivering a bit. "Brrr….Lincoln wasn't kidding...that trip gives serious goose pimples…" Lori commented.

"Well, what's good for the goose is good for the gander." Luan quipped, laughing softly. Given the situation, even her father didn't laugh at this.

"What took you guys!?" All eyes turned to the door, where Ronnie Anne was standing, one foot on her skateboard and slingshot in hand.

"How did you get here ahead of us?" Lynn asked in astonishment.

"Water main break. School has been closed for the last few days." She explained. "Once Leni texted me, I just grabbed the essentials and went." A few glares were sent Leni's way, who simply looked confused.

"...It….sounds kind of quiet here…." Lynn Sr finally spoke up, shaking a bit at the creepy atmosphere.

"True. Perhaps the call was to inform us that he spotted the suspect, rather than he managed to successful gain entry…" Lisa theorized. Her theory was immediately shattered when the sound of loud banging and crashing to be heard, as well as some light shaking of the walls and floor.

"You were saying…?" RA inquired, hanging onto the doorknob to keep standing.

"...where did that even come from?" Luna asked, her eyes looking in every direction.

"I have no idea…" The oldest of the Loud siblings said as she moved over to the door, Ronnie Anne opening it to let them all out. "...but it looks like we only have two options from here, so I say we split up into two groups. Dad, you take half of us and go that way." She gestured toward one direction, which lead to the stairs. "The rest of you, come with me." She instructed, pointing her club down the opposite hall. "If you see anything, find a way to alert us all." The sisters and Ronnie all nodded.

"Are you sure most of you don't want to go back?" Their father asked, praying at least some of the younger one would go back where they would be safe.

"Sorry Dad…" Lynn Jr said with a slight grin and a shrug. "...we know what you're trying to do and we appreciate it, but no dice. We Louds stand together. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us." The aspiring chef opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't. He was the one who taught them that, after all. He sighed, realizing he was beat in this case, and started on his way with Leni, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Luna. In the opposite direction went Lori, Ronnie Anne, Lynn Jr, Luan, and Lucy went in the opposite direction.

"Ok...maybe it's still what Lisa said...he only sighted that monster hunter...that's all." The Loud father told himself nervously as he took the lead. "Yeah...and those crashes we heard...Just one of the kids moving furniture...that's it…"

"You really think so, Daddy?" Lola asked, holding her princess wand tightly as they moved along.

"...I can hope, can't I?" He muttered to himself. About a second or two, they started to hear the sound of rattling chains. "What was that…?"

"Sounds like chains…" Lana commented quietly. "...good strong ones, by the sound of it. Could tow a truck with them."

"Maybe it's Phanty." Leni suggested, before she covered her own mouth. "Oh...was that racist? It sounded racist…Sorry..."

"I think it's more stereotyping, sis…" Luna whispered, patting her on the back. "Besides, we know you didn't mean it."

"Stay here…" He muttered as he cautiously moved forward to investigate. The closer he got to the source of the clattering, the closer he got to the stairs. He was shaking like a leaf as he nervously peered over the edge. To his shock, he found his wife, Rita, chained to the chair and struggling like mad to get free. "Rita!?"

"Lynn!?" She could hardly believe her ears as she looked up. There he was, her husband, here at Grimwood's. He vaulted over the banister and landed right in front of her, wincing a bit as the landing hurt his legs. Their children hurried over for a look.

"Mom!" Lola and Lana exclaimed, before getting their mouths covered by Lisa and Lola.

"It would be more prudent if you did not alert the suspect to our presence if he is inside the building." Lisa said in a hushed voice.

"Sorry…" The twins replied, their voices muffled by their hands.

"What happened here?" The Loud patriarch asked as he tried to loosen the chains.

"It's that monster killer, Sigmund Lesrec. He's here and he's after the girls!" The Loud sisters looked to one another and nodded. They could see their mother would be alright, so they hurried on, down the next corridor. It took Lynn Sr several seconds before he could manage to free his wife. The moment she was, she embraced him tightly (which he returned in kind) before she started to cry. "Lynn...I heard gunshots...loud crashes….screaming….I heard Lincoln scream!" The Loud father went very pale for a moment before his look became as determined as Lincoln's earlier. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

"Hello...there is a mad man named Sigmund Lesrec at Grimwood's School. We need police and ambulance here right away…" He explained, trying to keep his tone calm. "The address?" He looked to Rita, who gave the address to the dispatcher. "...I don't know for certain yet….I only just arrived…they'll be here as soon as they can? Thank you so much..." He said before he hung up the phone. He then turned to Rita and hugged her again. "I'm going up there…" He told her with a quavering voice.

"I'm going with you…"

"No. Wait here and let the police in when they get here...or stop him from getting away if he tries." Lynn Sr said. Mrs Loud wasn't a big fan of this idea, but didn't argue. She nodded to him, the two sharing a quick, loving kiss before Lynn Sr headed upstairs himself.

* * *

Back upstairs, Ronnie Anne was skating ahead of the group, looking further down the hall while Lori, Lynn, Luan and Lucy opened each door as they went for quick look in each room. "Nothing here…" Lori said as she found an empty room.

"I like this room." Lynn commented with a smile, spotting a lot of sports posters up in one room, as well as a little family picture of a werewolf family.

"Well now...where does this lead?" Lucy wondered, as one door opened up to a spiral set of stairs. "I'm going to investigate up here." She said, though not quite loud enough for the others to hear before she went up the stairs. Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne continued to skate on down the hall, taking note of the bullet and laser holes in the walls.

"Looks like they came down this way…." She muttered. The latina skidded around a corner and spotted the broken window at the opposite corner. She gave a whistle to get the others' attention, motioning them to follow before she continued to roll along. When she got about half way there, she heard a voice:

"...You don't deserve to live anymore, Loud…" Ronnie Anne's blood turned to ice when she heard that, speeding up just as the other sisters turned the bend behind her. "...But first things first…" Ronnie Anne reached into her pocket, reaching for the marbles, but ended up pulling out the crystal instead. It wasn't what she was aiming for, but it would have to do. She loaded it into the slingshot as she forced her board to a stop as she turned to look down the hall. When she stopped, she saw the hunter aiming for Sibella's heart, and Lincoln a stake in his shoulder, bleeding pretty bad now. They were a little more than half way down the corridor. She raised her slingshot and took careful aim.

"Get away from them, creep!" She screamed just before she fired, the jewel flying through the air. Sigmund's head turned slightly to see who had screamed. He wasn't quick enough (after all the fighting he had already done) to react to the crystal before it struck his crossbow. It knocked the stake out of the loader and caused it to misfire, causing the string to snap. The weapon was now useless. He glares at the city girl.

"R...Ronnie Anne?" Lincoln asked in amazement.

"You dare interfere-!" He started to yell, but she didn't give him the chance to say any more as she started to rapid fire marbles at him. The little glass balls did little to harm the man, but they still served their purpose. Irritated, Sigmund reached into his coat, pulling out his last throwing knife and hurling it right at her. Her eyes widened as she dove to the side, back down the corner to avoid getting hit. With the peanut gallery out of the way in his mind, he pulled a fresh stake from his cloak, leering at the vampiress still pinned to the wall. He raised the wooden spike, a manic smirk on his face. However, before he could strike, a hand grabbed his stake arm by the wrist.

"Don't you dare!" Leni yelled at him with an angry glare, holding him with a grip like iron.

"Leni!?"

"Stay out of this, girl!" Sigmund snapped, swinging his free hand at her. The second oldest Loud grabbed his other arm and proceeded to throw him clear across the hall. Lincoln and Sibella's jaw dropped, and even the hunter looked dumbfounded as he flipped in mid air and landed on his feet. 'What are they feeding kids these days!?' He wondered in his mind. However, something else demanded his attention as this cross his mind: namely Lynn's fist, as it impacted against his cheek and sent him careening into the wall. Her eyes glanced down the way and immediately spotted her brother bleeding on the ground. Her face turned scarlet, steam billowing from her nostrils like a cartoon bull.

"You! Piece! Of! Trash! YOU! HURT! MY! BROTHER!" She screamed each word, punching and kicking at the mad hunter harder and harder with each word. Sigmund, of course, tried to put up a defense, but Lynn was much stronger than Lincoln was. Even when he blocked, her attacks still hurt. Not only that, but her blows were almost constant. She refused to give him any leeway: attacking his face, neck, chest, stomach, shins, wherever she could reach. She even aimed at kick to the family jewels. However, this turned out to be a big mistake. He grabbed her by the foot and pulled a dagger from his cape. She gasped and pulled her leg back, leaving her shoe in his hand. She narrowly avoid getting slashed in the leg. "Oh! Big man, fighting a young girl with a knife. Wouldn't be so tough without it, would you!?" She taunted, hopping back a few inches, adopting a boxing stance. The monster hunter, already at the end of his patience, just growled at her, storming toward the sporty girl. Lynn was tough, but she wasn't foolish. She wasn't about to fight a guy with a dagger bare handed, especially one a head or two taller than her. She decided to fall back, with Sigmund chasing after her. He didn't get far, however, because he was intercepted by….Mr Coconuts, from an open door to his right.

"Hey there, Stabby McLooneybin." He said in an overly cheerful voice. "You ever meet my cousin, Louis V.?"

"I don't have time for-" He started to say as he tried to force his way past the puppet, but when he did, a baseball bat slammed right into his stomach, causing him to double over in pain and drop his weapon.

"Cousin Louis V. Last name, Slugger." Mr Coconuts quipped as Luan emerged from the same room, holding the bat with both hands as she smashed the handle of the bat against his nose. Lori and Ronnie Anne both stepped out of the room, Lori pausing for a moment to look at the dummy somehow suspended in mid air and speaking without Luan's help. The puppet turned to look at her, then frowned. "Not the time to question it, toots."

"Er….right." Lori said, very much shaken, but she had a job to do. The family comedian took another swing at Sigmund, only to have her bat blocked, his bloodshot eyes locked on her.

"My, what red eyes you have, Grandma…" She said with a smirk.

"All the better to watch monsters die…" He responded in a soft, dangerous voice. He clenched his other hand into a fist, but before he could attack, Lori's nine iron came slamming down on his head. The impact to the top of his head left the mad monster hunter seeing birdies for a moment. Ronnie Anne took the chance to get past him and ran right back to Lincoln, who was being seen to by Leni.

"Oooh...that looks bad…" She said, looking sadly at Lincoln as Ronnie Anne started to pull Sibella free of the wall.

"I'll live…" Lincoln replied, groaning a bit from the pain. The kindly teen pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the base of the stake to help stem the flow. "Thanks…" He said, putting his own hand on the hanky to apply pressure.

"You're welcome." She said sweetly as Sibella finally fell off the wall, with Ronnie Anne catching her and helping her to the ground beside Lincoln.

"Take it easy a moment, Sib…" The latina said softly, looking at her hands. To her amazement (though in hindsight, she thought she should have guessed it), while there were wounds in her hands, they weren't bleeding. In fact, they seemed to be slowly healing on their own. "...that is both extremely gross...and extremely cool at the same time." Around that time, Luna, the twins, and Lisa came barreling around the bend. Their jaws dropped when they saw the most of the Grimwood girls unconscious on the floor by the door where Suki was sleeping off the tranquilizer, Tanis and Winnie out cold by Lincoln, and Sibella being seen to by Ronnie Anne. With Leni in the way, they couldn't see the stake in his shoulder.

"Lincoln!" They all (except for Lisa) cried out. The twins were about to run over to him, but Ronnie Anne stepped between them.

"Hold up a moment. Lincoln's...kinda hurt." Ronnie Anne said vaguely, not wanting to tell the young ones the full extent of his injury. "He needs some rest…"

"Ronnie Anne's right, sibs." Luna said, looking down at them. "And right now, it sounds like the others need our help." She added, able to hear the shouting and sounds of battle not far away.

"You go on ahead." Lisa told them, as she started pulling parts from inside her sweater and her pockets. "I'll catch up momentarily." Luna, Lana and Lola all nodded and rushed onward to provide support to Lori, Luan and Lynn.

"Oh! That reminds me, Linky." Leni piped up, pulling the pasta sauce from her purse. "I brought the sauce you wanted."

"...sauce? I never asked for sauce, Leni." Lincoln told her, utterly lost.

"You didn't? Awwwww. What am I going to do with this sauce now?" The one son thought for a moment, then grinned.

"Why not give it to Sigmund?" He suggested.

"Uh uh. He doesn't deserve any sauce…"

"No, Leni. I think Lincoln means 'give' it to him." RA explained, miming the motion of throwing it. The ditzy teen thought for a moment, then smiled brightly.

"Ooooh! I get it! Sure thing. Service with a smile." She chirped before she ran off to join the fray.

* * *

Luna was the first to round the corner, holding an acoustic guitar in both hands. Up ahead, her two older sisters and her brawler of a little sister were triple teaming Sigmund. He had managed to avoid the bat and club, but Lynn socked him across the face, adding a new bruise to his already beaten face. The enraged hunter kicked the athletic Loud right in the chest, making her stagger back a little, but otherwise hardly even slowed her down. The guitarist narrowed her eyes as she charged at his back. "Oi! Slimeball!" She screamed, which got the hunter's attention. He turned around just in time to get smashed in the face with her guitar. He stumbled back, grunting in pain and holding his nose, which was starting to bleed. "You fought the law, and I won!"

"Hahaha. If he didn't know who he was messing with before, now he 'nose'" Luan jested, laughing at her pun. His response was to punch her right in the face, knocking her off her feet and into the nearest wall. "Ugh….I guess...you heard that one…." She mumbled in a dazed before blacking out.

"Lana! Up high!" Lola instructed as she and her twin ran toward the battle. The animal lover nodded and ran ahead of her before stopping and holding her hands down and together. As soon as the pageant princess put her foot into her hands, Lana propelled her upward. The prissy twin pulled a handful of glitter from her pocket and threw it right into the wrathful bigot's eyes.

"Augh! My eyes!"

"Down low!" Lana grinned as she grabbed a table leg and dove between his feet. Once behind him, she struck him hard behind his knees. She may have been young, but she was plenty strong for her age: enough to force Sigmund to his knees.

"Too slow!" They said together as they jabbed him right in his keister with the broken table leg and Lola's princess wand. The mad hunter gave a bellow of pain, anger and frustration (though more anger and frustration), just before he back kicked Lana clear across the hall, sending her rolling across the floor until she eventually flopped onto her back.

"Lana!" Lola screamed, her attention focused on her injured twin. This unfortunately cost her, as Sigmund's fist impacted with her face next. She was sent flying through the air and crashing next to her twin.

"Cough….that really hurt…." Lana groaned as she carefully sat up to look at Lola. "Lo….are you….ok?"

"Lana…." She moaned, shaking a little as she turned to her twin. Lana flinched, as Lola was now sporting a nasty black eye. "...tell me the truth...does it look as bad as it feels?"

"...you look great, sis…" She lied with a weak smile and a thumbs up. Lola half smiled in return. She knew her twin was lying to spare her feelings...but she still appreciated it.

"How….dare…..YOU!" Leni screamed, hurling the container of sauce right at the villain the moment he managed to get to his feet. The container exploded on his chest, sending sauce all over him, the walls and floors; especially on his eyes and face.

"Ah *$^#! Not again!" He roared as he once again lost his ability to see.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth!?" Lynn yelled as she rammed into his lower back with her shoulder, knocking him forward right into Leni's fist, aimed right at his face. While all this was going on, Lisa had finally put together what she had brought for the skirmish: a portable dart rifle. She loaded it with dart that looked like a tranquilizer dart, then leaned into the open, taking aim through the scope she had built. She frowned as she attempted to aim around her siblings, but the fighting was too chaotic for her to get a good enough shot. If she even tried, she might hit one of her siblings instead. Not only that, but she could tell that Sigmund Lesrec was getting angrier...and he was holding back still. Her fears only grew as he then blocked Lori's next club assault and roundhouse kicked her in the face, sending her spinning to the ground and rendering her unconscious with a single hit.

"Curse it all...there's not time for this…" Lisa muttered as she pulled the dart from the makeshift rifle. "Caution to the wind it is…" She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her as the monster hater's attention returned to Lynn, who was beyond ticked off and wanted to do some serious damage to the guy. Luna and Leni, seeing Lisa's approach, backed up to give her room as she jumped up on Sigmund's back. He doesn't notice at first, as she was lighter than most and his senses were thrown completely off in his pain and fury. However, he couldn't ignore the sharp, stabbing pain he felt in his shoulder as the mini genius stuck her dart into him. Whatever she put in that dart, however, didn't seem to have any effect on him. He was still angry, fighting and not slowing down even a little. He reached around behind him and grabbed Lisa before hurling her out of the window he himself had gotten knocked through earlier. The brilliant toddler screamed for a moment before pulling a grappling gun from under her sweater. She fired it back toward the window and, with luck, it stuck to the sill. She sighed right relief as she swung through the air...and right into the outer wall. The impact was quite painful, cracking her glasses, but Lisa felt it could have been infinitely worse.

Lincoln, Ronnie Anne and Sibella each had looks of horror on their face as they saw Lisa soar right out the window The tough latina hurriedly ran over to the window and leaned out of it. "LISA!"

"I'm ok!" She shouted in reply. "...well, ok is relative given the circumstances, but at least I am still alive." She amended as RA started to help her back up.

"...Sibella….they need your help…" Lincoln said softly, looking toward the daughter of Dracula beside him. He looked at him with a look of worry. She didn't want to leave his side, but she couldn't just sit there and let all this happen either. She nodded silent as she got to her feet. "Wait…" He added, holding up a hand. He moved the hanky out of the way and let some of his blood fill up in his hand.

"What? Lincoln...are you sure…?" She asked, feeling a little afraid at what he was suggesting.

"Yes….pretty sure, at least…" He answered, holding the small puddle of blood up to her. "You need to be at full strength."

"...this is a seriously big risk, Lincoln...if this goes wrong, I could end up attacking your sisters as well…"

"You're stronger than that, Sibella. I believe you can fight it and Sigmund." The middle Loud told her with a smile, which was a little weaker than his usual smile. Sibella looked between him and the offering in his hand, biting her lip a bit. This was extraordinarily dangerous, but so was the monster hunter. The question was...which was more dangerous?

* * *

Back in the brawl, Luna, Leni and Lynn were still fighting their best against the monster hunter. However, no matter how much punishment he had received, he kept getting right back up. His face was covered in bruises, pasta sauce, glitter and blood from his nose. "Dudes...this guy isn't human…." The rocker gal commented as he avoided her next swing of the guitar.

"Even my punching bags woulda given up by now…" Lynn said, wiping the sweat from her face.

"How are we going to get him to stop?" Leni inquired.

"I won't stop until every monster in this building is dead!" Sigmund snapped furiously.

"Sorry, you goon, but I don't approve of suicide!" Lynn retorted as she leaped into a fresh assault, sending a flurry of punches at him. Rather than fighting back, the hunter opted to avoid her attacks, to give himself a few seconds to recover.

"But he didn't-"

"I was calling him a monster, Leni!" She yelled, lacking even an ounce of patience at this point.

"Oh."

"Don't insult me, child!" Sigmund rammed into the brawling young lady, sending her falling onto her back.

"Oh no you-!" Her musical sister's exclamation and attempts to kabong him again were interrupted by a powerful hand grabbed her by the throat. She dropped her instrument, her hands grabbing his wrist as she choked and sputtered. Leni gasped and ran forward to help her. However, the bigoted hunter tossed Luna into Leni, sending the latter onto her back with the former on top of her.

"That's enough." Came a firmly monotone voice from behind Lynn, who was just starting to get back up. It was Lucy, who was standing at the end of the hall, her eyes squarely on the brutal man before her and her sister.

"Where've you been!?" Lynn asked her angrily.

"Gathering reinforcements." She answered simply. "Now, you. Sigmund Lesrec. Take your foul soul and leave this place. Now."

"If none of them can make me leave before I can finish my mission, what makes you think you can, little girl!?" He inquired derisively.

"This is why." She responded, putting two fingers into her mouth to give a shrill whistle. Seconds later, they could all hear the flap of many wings, chittering and squeaking. "Sic him." She commanded softly as a colony of bats flew out from around the corner and swarmed Sigmund, flying around him while scratching and biting at him. The monster hunter swatted and punched at the bats to try and get them to go away, but there were too many bats for him to deal with.

"Whoa...smooth move, Lucy." Lynn said with a smirk as her younger sister helped her up.

"Thanks." She responded dully, her eyes on the flailing man in the sea of leather wings and fangs. She grinned for a moment, until she saw him pull a final flashbang from his cloak. "Lynn, what is that?"

"What is…..oh cheese and crackers!" Her sporty sister exclaimed as she saw him raise the grenade. "Cover your eyes!" She yelled as she covered her own eyes. Lucy didn't quite make it as he slammed the device at his feet, causing it to burst with light and loud noise.

"Gasp! Lynn! I can't see!" She literally cried out, her hands going over her eyes. Her flying friends didn't fare any better, the flash and the bang making the bats go crazy; flying in random directions and slamming into walls, the ceiling and the floor.

"I...have had….ENOUGH!" Sigmund screamed, drawing a second pistol and pointing it right at Lynn. The athletic brunette froze in place, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. She did not expect him to have a gun. "I'm here to do a favor for humanity, but apparently, you ungrateful brats can't appreciate that! Well, if you wish to turn your back on the human race, then you can all just DIE!"

"Lynn? What's going on? I still can't see…." Lucy asked, fear building up in her (an uncommon occurrence with her).

"He...He's got a gun…" Lynn managed to choke out, standing in front of Lucy to protect her. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was about to happen. About a millisecond before she heard the 'BANG!', the teen felt herself get knocked forward onto the ground, along with Lucy. She heard the bullet whizz just overhead when they hit the floor. She opened her eyes and found her father, Lynn Sr, on top of them. There was a red mark on his head, showing how close the bullet came to hitting him, and his hair was singed. "Dad!"

"Dad?"

"Are you girls alright?" The skittish father asked, about one step away from tears.

"Not for long!" Sigmund replied as the barrel pointed down at the three of them. Before he could execute them all, though, a harsh hiss from behind him threw him off. He turned just in time to see Sibella pouncing at him, but she looked quite different. Her fangs were longer, her finger nails grew into claws, and her eyes became colder; more savage. He tried to turn his weapon on her, but she was already upon him, slashing him across the face with her new claws. His gun went off, sending the bullet off up toward the ceiling. The hunter tried again, but her next swipe knocked the firearm from his hand, as well as tearing his glove apart. To put some distance between him and the vampiress, he kicked her in the midsection, sending her sliding back before he flipped back himself. Lynn Sr had pulled Lynn Jr and Lucy out of the way about the time Sibella had struck, scared out of his mind. "So...you've finally shown your true colors, daughter of Dracula…." She doesn't even respond to him. Instead she cautiously approached him, crouched and claws out, ready to make another attack, while Sigmund pulled yet another wooden stake from his mostly ruined jacket.

"...where is he getting all this stuff?" Lynn wondered quietly. "Hey Luce...how are your eyes feeling?"

"...I think my vision is returning…" She answered, looking over at the battle about to talk place not far away. "...is that Sibella?"

"More like Sibella on steroids…" The sporty sister responded as the fight started once more, with the vampiress lashing out with her elongated nails and Sigmund trying to force an opening with which to stake her. The ferocity of her offensive was forcing the hunter backwards.

"...She must be in a blood frenzy…" Lucy whispered, watching in awe.

"...what now?"

"Vampires can enter a state known as blood frenzy upon drinking fresh blood." The gothic sister answered, sounding a little annoyed; like Lisa would when she had to explain something obvious. "It makes them significantly more powerful physically, but…"

"Yeeeeah...I think I get a pretty clear picture of the downside..." Lynn, her father and her younger sister stayed huddled up in the doorway where they were hidden, watching quietly as the two passed them. With as much energy he had lost already and Sibella's blood frenzy, it seemed like Sigmund was losing this fight. He couldn't even get close enough to her without possibly getting rended by her claws. However, he had yet another ace up his sleeve. With his free hand, he reached into his shirt and pulled out a small, gold crucifix on a chain, holding it out.

"Back up, monster!" He yelled, practically shoving the holy symbol into her face. The lavender skinned ghoul girl just looked at the cross, then at him with an unamused look before she back handed the cross out of his hand, causing the chain to break and the cross to clatter uselessly to the floor. "W...what!?" He sputtered in absolute bewilderment.

"Stupid hunter…" She said with a snarl, a fearsome edge to her voice. "Your line of thinking really is lost in the dark ages. We vampires have long since dealt with that weakness…" She raised her hand and pointed her palm right at him. An unseen force sent the hunter soaring back like her had been shot out of a cannon. His back struck the opposite wall with such force that it actually broke a hole in the wall. Somehow, he was still able to stand after that. Sibella was on him again in seconds, mauling him with her claws. By the end of it, his jacket and shirt were completely ruined, revealing a pair of bandoliers underneath the jacket. One was empty, while the other had wooden stakes on them. She tore the band of spikes off and tossed them aside. His face looked like he someone had thrown an angry cat onto his head, and even his chest had some deep scratches on it. But Sibella wasn't done yet. She slammed his head against the wall a few times, with more than enough force to cause unconsciousness in most people. Then, she grabbed him by the neck, forcing his head to tilt slightly. She looked at his throat, her fangs bared, leaning closer.

"Sibella! Don't!" Lincoln exclaimed, having been brought over to witness the scene with Ronnie Anne's support. The vampiress froze, turning her head to look at the white haired boy.

"What!? Lincoln, are you serious right now!?" Lynn shouted, glaring at him.

"The guy threatened to kill us all!" Lola screamed from her hiding place with Lana, one hand covering her eye. "And you want to spare him!?"

"That's not-"

"He deserves it." Lucy spoke up angrily.

"I kn-"

"Lincoln, we know you have a big heart and tend to be quite forgiving. It is one of your more admirable traits." Lisa started calmly as she helped Luna and Leni up (or as best she could with cracked glasses. "However, given the scope and nature of his crimes, his lack of remorse, and his cold hearted nature, I don't think anyone here would think less of you, or Sibella, if you were to allow her to end him right here and now."

"If you would just give me-"

"What!? Are you gonna say we should be merciful!? Because he sure as heck wasn't planning on it!" Lynn continued to shout as she stormed up to her brother, her temper at an all time high. "We should be better than him and that means not giving him his just desserts!? Huh? Is THAT IT!?" She was breathing heavily as she got right in his face. If she weren't so furious, she would have noticed that he was starting to look a little pale. With Sibella's attention on the argument behind her, Sigmund took this as his last chance to survive this. He released a smoke bomb from his sleeve into his hand and dropped it to the ground. Once more, a thick cloud of dark gray smoke surrounded him and the vampiress, the latter choking a bit. The smoke didn't last long, but when it cleared, the monster hunter was gone.

"Huh? Where'd he go?" Lana asked in astonishment.

"That's impossible…" Luna groaned, rubbing her head.

"Well...he got to live, Lincoln...I hope you're happy. Sibella didn't finish him just like you wanted…" Lynn snarled, glaring at her brother.

"What I 'wanted' was for her to NOT to bite his NECK." Lincoln replied, calm yet angry. His short tempered, sport centered sister just blinked when he said that, her look of rage giving way to confusion. "If Sibella bit him, he would have just turned into a vampire himself….stronger, faster, and with a bigger axe to grind." It was then the more aggressive of the sisters winced, backing away from Lincoln, looking somewhat meek and apologetic.

"Oh…..sorry, Linc….." She said quietly. Lincoln sighed, cringing a bit in pain.

"I understand, Lynn...you are angry...we all are…." He told her. "I would go on, but this isn't the time to discuss this…"

"Lincoln's right…" Sibella said, looking a little dizzy as the blood frenzy started to wear off and she was returning to normal. She was forced to lean against the nearest wall for support just to keep standing. "We need to find him before he can get away…"

"Where's he going to go? If he tries to get out of the building, Miss Grimwood's traps will destroy him, right?" Luan pointed out as she soon got to her feet. The answer to her question came as the sound of a scream from downstairs and the shatter of glass. The Loud Clan bolted for the stairs, with Ronnie Anne taking up the rear as she helped Lincoln along.

"You go on ahead, Ronnie...just leave me right here…" Lincoln told her quietly.

"Fat chance, Lincoln."

"It's better if I'm not there." He told her. "...I'd just be a distraction for you guys, and a target for Sigmund…" The tough city girl thought about what he said for a moment. She knew he was right.

"Ok...but I'm not leaving you." She replied, gently setting him down.

"...I'll be alright...I think...I'm just feeling kinda tired…" He said as he sat down on the carpet. This was alarming news to Ronnie Anne and Sibella, the vampiress swooping over beside him to look him over, as RA was starting to tremble.

* * *

The Loud children and Lynn Sr were down the stairs in seconds. Once there, they saw Rita with a look of horror on her face, trying to calm down, the heavy chain the once bound her in her hand. And judging by the damage to the walls and the stair railing, she tried to use it as a weapon against the monster hunter. The window nearest to the right side of the door was completely broken, as if Sigmund had dove out of it. Lisa was quick to notice a small metal box on top of the door frame with a little flashing red light on it. "Mom!? Are you alright!?" Lori asked, running over to her and giving her a hug.

"I'm fine...more importantly, are you all alright!?" She asked, looking at each of her children in turn and, particularly, the injuries they all had. Lola was still covering her eye, Lori had a big red mark on her face from where she had been kicked, Luan's braces looked kind of dented, and Lisa's glasses were one step away from being useless. "And where's Lincoln?"

"Lincoln's upstairs, Mom. He's still alive." Lucy answered, though it was far from assuring.

"As for us...we've definitely been better, but we'll pull through." Lori told her. "We've been through worse…"

"Why'd he go through the window instead of the door?" Lana inquired as she walked over to the window for a look outside.

"I suspect it is because of that…" Lisa said as she pointed up at the small object on the door. "He probably rigged a trap onto the door in the event someone inside tried to get out, or someone from outside tried to get in. I would advise-"

"Uh...guys...you might want to have a look at this…" Lana interrupted her younger sister, pointing out the window. The family quickly crowded around the window, or the window on the other side, for a look. Sigmund Lesrec was standing at the end of the walkway, keeled over and gasping for breath. This was his first opportunity for a break since his invasion of Grimwood's had started and he desperately needed a rest. There was some kind of cable extending from the porch all the way to the front gate of the school.

"Ok...I'm calling bull on that…." Lynn said sourly. "No way is he that prepared."

"If he came prepared to fight all manner of monsters and got in without being detected, I suspect he also considered some way to escape without triggering Miss Grimwood's defenses...as much as I hate the man's guts, I do have to applaud his ingenuity." Lisa commented. After a few seconds to regain himself, the monster hunter stood up straight and tall, glaring at the Loud family.

"Don't think for a moment that you've won!" He yelled to them as he pulled a small, cylindrical device from his pocket with a little red button on top. "When I came in from the basement-"

"The basement!?" Rita gasped.

"That explains how he got in…" Lisa mumbled.

"-I took the liberty of leaving a little insurance. A guarantee that the monsters wouldn't escape." He told them. "An improvised, but powerful explosive." Both parents and all nine daughters gasped in fright.

"Quick! To Lincoln's room!" Lynn shouted, starting to dash toward the stairs.

"That won't do us any good…" Lisa said solemnly, making her headstrong sister hit the brakes. "Unless you are secretly possessing super speed far beyond even the speed of light, there is no way we'll have the time to get everyone out before the explosive detonate…"

"You had your chance to escape alive, Louds. But you chose to side with monsters...so now you will die with them!" He shouted as he held up the trigger where they could see it, his thumb quickly descending toward the button.


	31. Chapter 31: The Storm part 3

_AN: Sorry about the cliffhangers, but I thought it made sense to separate each segment of the fight into it's own chapter. If I tried to write it all together, I would have ended up burning myself out, like I almost did with 'Home Again Home Again'. But don't worry. This may be the conclusion of the fight, but it's not the end of the story. I still have one more chapter to go, to tie up a few loose ends. With that out of the way, enjoy the (hopefully) exciting conclusion of 'The Storm'._

* * *

The Storm part 3

Earlier, within the spirit realm…

The Witches and Warlocks convention was coming to a close: it had been considered a rousing success. The business had been booming at the expo hall, with its numerous booth and tables of magic items, books, special alchemy ingredients, etc. Abigail Grimwood was able to pick up a few new books for her library, as well as an enchanted cloak for her pupils to study later. The panels were amazingly insightful and, in some cases, comical. There had been a pretty bad altercation with a few overly tipsy spellslingers, an especially mouthy leprechaun and a few bad tempered ghosts, but otherwise, things went smoothly. Miss Grimwood had just put the last few applications she had received into her bag, a smile on her face. "Well, it has been quite a convention, hasn't it, Vincent?"

"Quite right, Abigail." Mr Van Ghoul responded, examining the new crystal ball he had purchased a few minutes back. "It has been a devilishly good time, but it will be good to be back home."

"I hear you on that one. There is just one more panel to attend, the closing ceremony, and the closing banquet to go." She said, conjuring a convention program to review what was left. "I do hope the girls are-" She froze in place, staring off into space as if she was getting a vision.

"Miss Grimwood? What's the matter?" He asked, but she didn't reply. At least, not until a second or two had passed.

"...It's Sigmund….my guardian eyes had seen him…"

"But how did he find the school?"

"I don't know...but the disturbing part was he was LEAVING the school...I have to go back!" She said, in a state of absolute alarm.

"I'll go with you, Abigail…" Vincent told her, his face turning very serious.

"Thank you Vincent…" Miss Grimwood said as she focused her magical energy, the warlock putting a hand on her shoulder. "Revorateth cython HOME ETORRAN!" She chanted, just before the two of them blinked right out of the spirit realm.

* * *

"You had your chance to escape alive, Louds. But you chose to side with monsters...so now you will die with them!" He shouted as he held up the trigger where they could see it, his thumb quickly descending toward the button. Before he could, a bolt of lighting struck his hand, knocking the detonator out of it and sending it careening to the ground, where it shattered to pieces, utterly useless. Sigmund held his smoking hand, glaring in the direction the bolt had come from. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he saw them. Vincent Van Ghoul, who had a second bolt charging in his hand, ready to be fired, and Abigail Grimwood. "Abigail…."

"Sigmund." She replied curtly and politely, her tone only barely disguising her disgust and anger.

"Where did they come from?" Lori asked in shock.

"Don't question it if it means we exist another day…" Lucy monotoned.

"...point taken."

"So we meet again at last...I must say, time has been kind to you." The monster hunter said, looking at the middle aged headmistress with something close to a smirk.

"I cannot say the same for you...finally bit off more than you could chew, Sigmund?" She inquired, looking at his dirty, scratched up face and chest, and ruined uniform.

"...A setback and nothing more." He said flatly, his expression souring."I will return, and those monsters will be destroyed."

"No, Sigmund." Miss Grimwood said, slowly approaching him. "You won't. This will end right here, right now...one way or another."

"...are you challenging me, Abigail?"

"You always were a sharp one. Yes, I am." Miss Grimwood replied.

"Well, if that is the case, you will either need to come out here to face me, or turn off your defenses." The monster hunter explained, crossing his arms. To his dismay, she had to leave the school grounds for this duel. "...very well. I suppose you'll need one of these?" He asked as he drew two more swords from behind his back.

"No need, Sigmund. I have one of my own." She answered, a long sword appearing in her hand. It was an ornate sword with a bronze hilt and a silver blade. The guard of the weapon was shaped like bat wings, and there was a ruby inlaid into the pommel. The monster hunter's eyes opened wide and his mouth hung open as he saw the sword.

"W...Where did you get that!?" He demanded to know.

"This old thing? It was given to me by an old friend of mine. Perhaps you know her? Desiree Van Helsing...the last of the house of Van Helsing." Miss Grimwood explained, giving a few test swings of the sword before she decided she was ready.

"Dr Van Helsing's sword...Abigail, that weapon belongs in the hands of those who carry the blood of Van Helsing in them…..give it here."

"Desiree entrusted me with this weapon; to keep it safe from the wrong hands. As such…" She held the blade at the ready, facing him. "...the only way it will fall into your hands will be if you pry it from my cold, dead fingers." The hunter grimaced as she said that, putting one of his swords away.

"...if that's the way you feel about it...then so be it." He answered, adopting his own fighting stance. Vincent stood by inside the grounds, knowing better than to interfere in such a duel. However, he did wish to watch in the event his dear friend needed help. So, with a wave of his hand, the brick fence suddenly became transparent, so he and the Louds to watch.

"Whoa! Miss Grimwood's gonna sword fight that jerk!" Lana said excitedly.

"What a time to be without popcorn…" Luan lamented.

"With all due respect...I don't think she'll get very far…" Lynn said pessimistically. "I mean, we all beat that guy down, and I'm willing to bet the gals here and Lincoln did the same, but he kept right on tickin'."

"Looks can be deceiving, elder sister." Lisa commented as she put on a pair of gloves. "Miss Grimwood may be up there in years, but that means she is experienced and wise. I feel she will be just fine. Father, would you mind giving me a boost, so I might disable that door trap?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather leave that to the professionals, Lisa?"

"Positive. I could disarm a device like that with my eyes closed." She answered with all confidence, pulling out a screwdriver from her pants pocket. Lynn Sr looked to Rita for a moment before picking the toddler up and holding her close to the trap. She carefully pried open the box and looked inside. "Hmmmm. A simple apparatus. This won't take more than a few seconds."

"Well, while you do that, I'll give you a play by play of Miss G kicking monster hunter butt." Lana said, her eyes glued on the standoff happening on the street outside of the gate. The two just stared each other down for about twenty seconds before Sigmund shouted.

"En guarde!" He lunged forward, while Miss Grimwood waited for him with a confident smile. He slashed at her, which she easily blocked and counter with a jab of her own. He sidestepped her counter and faded back to prepare his next assault. As their weapons continued to clash, their difference in styles became quite noticeable. Sigmund, naturally, was more aggressive and tried to use force to take her down. Abigail, on the other hand, adopted a slower, more patient style, making calculated strikes as they came up. The monster hunter had more experience with sword fighting, of course, but the previous battles and beatings he had taken slowed him down. Miss Grimwood was no slouch with a sword, however, and was able to match him swing for swing. She was pretty tired herself, having needed to teleport back all the way from the spirit realm, so as it stood, the two seemed pretty even. The monster bigot made a brash swipe at her to try and knock the sword out of her hand, but she evaded his strike and smacked him across the face with the pommel of her own sword. His head jerks a bit from the impact, but he was barely fazed as he elbowed her in the stomach. The middle aged witch staggered back, but still had the wherewithal to raise her sword to block his next attack. The two end up in a deadlock, trying to forcible outdo each other. "I must admit...I am surprised, Abigail...I never knew you had a knack for swordplay."

"There is a lot you don't know about me, Sigmund." She replied, pushing back against his sword with her own with all her might, the two nearly nose to nose.

"We could have made a hell of a team…"

"We could...but you chose the path of evil and hatred. There is no way I could tolerate that…"

"Abigail, if that is what you thought, that is not-"

"You just attempted to detonate a bomb inside my school, with CHILDREN in it!" She yelled at him, cutting off his argument, her anger building. "And not even all of them are monster children! Human children as well! That is just plain VILE!"

"They are traitors!" He snapped back. "Betrayers of the human race!"

"Do you even listen to yourself, Sigmund?" She asked him coldly. "Or are you so blinded and deafened from the archaic beliefs that once plagued the dark ages that you cannot see any other point of view?"

"I wish I could make you understand, Abigail!"

"Funny. I was thinking the same about you. But the difference is that I do understand your viewpoint, even though I think it's beyond wrong. You, on the other hand, won't even try to." She shoved him back, forcing him to fade back from her. "Part of the reason we broke up so many years ago…"

* * *

Back inside the school, the ghoul girls were starting to come to. Tanis was the first, who promptly woke Winnie up. "Ugh...my head…" The werewolf girl moaned as she sat up. "Tanis…?"

"I'm here, Winnie…" She replied quietly.

"Where are they others?" In answer, the little mummy pointed to the pile of their friends, of which Milly was the only one recovering.

"Xnora tillibit grentok…" She growled, shaking her head a little.

"What does that mean?" The youngest of the Grimwood girls asked.

"You don't want to know." The young martian replied quietly. "My head is still ringing…are the other earthlings ok?"

"I'll let you know…" Winnie said, scurrying over for a closer look. Gila was starting to come to, but Elsa wasn't moving still. She was still breathing, but having been overloaded by the taser, it would take her a lot longer to recover. Phantasma, in her little crystal, looked positively inconsolable, crying her eyes out, curled up on her side. There was no sign of Sibella or Gosuki, though they remembered that their reptilian friend was in the room next to them. As if on cue, the young kaiju opened the door and shuffled out, rubbing her eyes.

"Yaaaaawn….good morning…." She muttered blearily, not quite remembering their situation due to having just woke up from her sedation.

"Er….Suki….it's afternoon...and you didn't just finish a nap…" Winnie explained to her, but then a thought came to her. "Hey...how did you kick those tranquilizers so quick?"

"Probably her physiology." Milly reasoned. "Being larger than most earth creatures, and biologically different, a dosage that would sedate a normal human would only last a few minutes with Suki."

"...makes sense...so what'd I miss?" Tanis stepped up to tell Suki what had been going on (at least what she witnessed herself) while her furred friend was checking on the others. When the little mummy finished her story, Suki looked positively livid.

"...after that, the mean man threw Winnie at me...and I've been out ever since…"

"He's not going to get away with this…" The pink dinosaur like child stomped her way to the nearest window and forced it open, shattering it in the process.

"W...what are you doing?" Gila asked as soon as she got some idea of where she was.

"I'm calling Daddy." She responded, taking a deep breath and roaring at the top of her lungs...well, roaring may be being generous. It was more of a squeal than a roar, but was it ever loud.

"What on earth was that!?" Ronnie Anne asked, looking back toward where Suki and the others were.

"Focus, Ronnie Anne…" Sibella said seriously, her eyes on Lincoln, who was getting more pale by the second. "We need to do something and quick…"

"Right….so, what are our options?"

"There's no way we can get an ambulance here fast enough…" The vampiress deduced, not realizing Lynn Sr had already called them. "So...we have two options...One: I turn Lincoln into a vampire…" The tough latina frowned at her. "I know...it's not ideal...but if it will save his life….well, the other option is I can try the same spell Miss Grimwood did when she healed his head injury at the volleyball game…"

"Try?"

"Healing magic is seriously advanced magic...I've never tried something to that caliber…" Sibella admitted. "..I can't even promise it will work…" She looked down at Lincoln, meeting his tired eyes. He gently reached up and took her hand.

"You can do it…" He said weakly, a ghost of a smile on his face. The vampiress and human girl turned to one another, as if debating without words.

"...we'll try the spell...if we can't manage it, we'll go to plan B…" Ronnie Anne finally decided. "Just tell me what I can do."

"I need you to remove the stake when I get to the third stanza of the incantation." Sibella instructed her as she laid Lincoln down and sat on her knees beside him.

"Wait...what!? But that thing's the only thing keeping him from bleeding out even faster!"

"And if it stays there, the spell will heal around it and Lincoln will have a big hole in his shoulder for the rest of his life!" Sibella bared her fangs at Ronnie Anne as she yelled this, causing her to recoil.

"Ok. Ok. Didn't know…" RA responded, calmly but fearfully.

"...Sorry...let's just get started…" Sibella took a deep breath, holding her hands over the weakened child. A strong wind kicked up (somehow) through the hall, her long hair starting to flow as she gathered her magical energy. "Emmora seletath enned…" She started to chant, a foggy like aura starting to surround her. "Tellevore lyonti…...jerax ya!" Her eyes started to glow, but she was also grimacing a bit. She had only begun the spell and already it was starting to hurt.

* * *

Back outside (several seconds earlier), Miss Grimwood and Sigmund were crossing swords once again, the intensity so strong that sparks were flying from the clashing blades. Possessing more physical strength (even as tired as he was), the monster hunter was forcing Miss Grimwood back by the force of his blows. Right toward the stone fence around the school. "This is intense…" Lori commented, wringing her hands nervously as she watched.

"Come on, Miss Grimwood…" Lynn said quietly, her hands clenched into fists. "Get that creep…" The other members of the Loud family equally anxious. Lana was whimpering as she hopped up and down, Luan was giggling and chuckling at nothing, Luna was shuffling her feet, and Leni was nervously twirling her finger in her hair. But there was nothing they could do. All they could do was watching as the headmistress was backed right against the wall. They all gasped in unison, Lola, Leni, Lori and Luan all covering their eyes as it looked like Sigmund was about to run her through. Instead, however, Abigail slid to one side, his sword going through the brick wall. She smirked at him as she then kicked off the wall and flipped right over his head and landed right back on her feet. Sigmund's mouth hung open as she pointed her sword at his throat.

"That's the way to do it!" Luna cheered, grinning at the position the fiend.

"I didn't know she could move like that." Lynn said in amazement.

"Miss Grimwood is just full of surprises…" Rita agreed with a nod.

"It's not over yet…" Lucy pointed out, though this was one time she hated to bring down the mood. "He still has one more sword…." And right she was, as he suddenly quick drew his last short sword, knocking her weapon away from his neck and kicking her away from him. Without even giving her a moment to recover, he lunged at her, thrusting his blade forward. The dark haired witch turned her back to him, his sword piercing right through her shawl...and air. The pink cloth hung on the end of his weapon as his head shifted to the left and right looking for her.

"Over here." Came her voice from behind him to the right. He turned just in time to see her sword come down hard, knocking his last short sword from his hand and onto the ground. She quickly kicked it out of his reach, keeping the sharp tip of the sword of Van Helsing pointed right at his chest. Sigmund raised his hands, taking a step back. "...I should finish you right here and now, Sigmund..." She told him. "...for daring to attack my students…"

"Are you saying you don't intend to kill me?" The bigot inquired.

"I am sorely tempted." She answered. She had more to say, but she was distracted by a very loud, squealing sort of roar. The monster hunter surreptitiously slipped a smoke bomb into his hand and threw it right into her eyes.

"Gah!" Miss Grimwood choked as the smoke was blasted into her face, causing her to drop the famed vampire hunter's sword.

"That's not fair!" Lynn Jr screamed, about ready to jump out and charge at the battling duo.

"Cool yer jets, sis!" Luna grabbed her headstrong sister and held her back. "You jump out there, you'll trigger Miss G's traps!"

"He's standing out there and he's just fine!" Lynn countered, pointing at Vincent Van Ghoul.

"He teleported here with Miss Grimwood. No doubt she was able to ensure he would be safe." Lucy said.

"Uh...what she said." Luna said. While Abigail was staggered and coughing, the monster hunter strode forward with a sinister grin, picking up his distant ancestor's sword.

"Van Helsing's sword is where it belongs now." He said, holding the weapon with both hands, looking positively ecstatic. He then turned to the nearly helpless witch, trying to recover from having the smoke bomb thrown right into her face. "You know, Abigail...you should have finished me when you had the chance...a mistake I don't plan to make." He raised the sword over his head. "Goodbye, Abigail Grimwood!" He swung down toward the middle aged witch with tremendous force, intending on a killing blow. However, before the silver blade could even touch her, the weapon vanished from his hands. Dumbfounded, he simply started at his empty hands. "What!? But...where did….?"

"It...cough cough...appears the good doctor's sword disagrees with you." Miss Grimwood answered with a smirk, finally swatting the smoke away. In her right hand was Dr Van Helsing's sword.

"What!? But...I am descended from Van Helsing….it's rightfully mine!"

"Sigmund, you've disgraced the name of Van Helsing."

"DON'T TALK LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT-" He started to scream.

"Those were Desiree's words, Sigmund. Not mine." The rest of the hunter's tirade seemed to die in his throat. "Though make no mistake...I agree. The Van Helsing clan didn't kill monsters with reckless abandon. They didn't hate monsters. They only fought and killed monsters that caused harm to others. You, on the other hand, are nothing more than a murderous bigot. You kill simply because they are monsters."

"No! It is because monsters are evil!"

"No. YOU are evil." She told him with a strong finality to her words as she prepared to finally strike him down, when sirens could be heard quickly approaching. Her eyes glanced up the road to see a squad of police officers, a pair of ambulances, and the Mystery Machine headed right for them.

"Oh, NOW they show up…" Lynn Jr groaned.

"At least that creep will get sent to the slammer…" Lana pointed out.

"...it's over, Sigmund." Miss Grimwood said, though she didn't sound as happy as she should about it. She knew that if the hunter really wanted to, he could escape from prison pretty easily. However, with the law here, it was out of her hands.

"No, Abigail...it's not." He replied. With the speed of a professional pitcher, he hurled a smoke bomb right at the oncoming cop cars. The impact and smoke cloud caused the police vehicles up front to swerve and crash into one another. This resulted in a chain reaction, which forced the rest of the squad to stop or risk making the accident worse. "You and your foul brats may have repelled me...but I will return...and at least the worst traitor of them all is dealt with." With that, he threw one last smoke bomb at his feet.

"Oh no you don't!" Miss Grimwood swung her hands, creating a gust of wind to blow the smoke away just as it covered him. However, when it was blown away, he was gone. "What…? But….he couldn't have…"

"Where'd he go?" Leni asked, more lost than ever.

"Is this guy a freaking ninja or something!?" Lynn inquired in fury, punching the wall in front of her.

"Guys...I'm more concerned about what he just said…" Lucy commented. "'The worst traitor of all is dealt with'..."

"LINCOLN!" All nine sisters and their parents all screamed at once. They all made a made dash for the stairs, nearly creating a full on clog as they all attempted to go up at once.

"Guys! We aren't getting anywhere!" Lori shouted, squeezed between her father and Lynn Jr.

"Lori's right...two at a time, everyone...and no running until we get to the top." Rita instructed, as the family tried to unwedge themselves from the bottom of the stairs.

* * *

"...Emmora….seletath….enned…." Sibella chanted through gritted teeth. "...Ze….ze…."

"What's wrong?" Ronnie Anne asked, over at the look of agony on the vampiress' face.

"The spell….it's….too much…" She replied, struggling to maintain it.

"Hang in there, Sibella...you can do it…"

"My magic isn't enough…." Sibella said, though it pained her as much as the strain of attempting the spell to admit it. The city girl looked between Lincoln and Sibella, then placed a hand on hers.

"Then have some of mine." RA said, a slight aura surrounding her. He had no idea if that would have really worked, but she was willing to try it anyway. Unfortunately for her, as she had never practiced any kind of magic in her life, her own magical power barely registered.

"Thanks...but it's still not enough...this kind of spell is hard, even for Miss Grimwood…" Sibella explained. "We'd need a lot more magic…." As if on cue, Tanis, Gila, Winnie, Milly, and Suki had all appeared from around the bend, prepared to go look for them.

"There they are! That was quick." Suki said as she pointed them out.

"Lincoln!" Tanis cried out as she ran over to the pale boy on the ground, falling to her knees beside him..

"...he looks in bad shape…" Milly commented as she and the others joined the small group around the now unconscious boy.

"He is…" Ronnie Anne explained to them, turning to face them, a desperate look in her eyes. "Sibella's trying to heal him, but she needs more magic…"

"Say no more." Winnie spoke up, placing a hand on Sibella's arm. A magical aura, slightly stronger than Ronnie Anne's appeared around the little werewolf. Suki was next, touching her undead friend's shoulder. Tanis put her arms around Sibella, followed by Gila and Milly placing a hand on their kaiju friend's back.

"Is this enough?" Tanis asked, hopeful.

"Let's see…." Sibella groaned as she tried to continue the chant. "...Zenete Lincoln tezevven…." A new wave of agony spread through Sibella, causing her to scream mid chant.

"It's still not enough!?" Winnie asked in disbelief.

"What are we going to do now?" Gila asked, hopelessness starting to fill her.

"Come on! They were over this way, last time I saw them!" The voice of Lynn Jr rang through the halls, along with her footsteps as she raced through the halls, taking the lead to find her brother. The Grimwood Girls all turned to see the sporty Loud nearly hit as wall as she was going so fast, her family not far behind. "There he is!"

"Oh my goodness!" Rita shrieked upon seeing Lincoln on the floor. She, Leni, Lana and Lola all ran toward him, but Ronnie Anne stepped between them and the injuried boy.

"Whoa! Hold on a sec!"

"Ronnie Anne, step aside…" The Loud mother demanded, about one second away from a complete meltdown. "...our baby boy needs help!"

"I know...we're trying to help. Sibella's trying to cast a healing spell, but she needs more magic." Ronnie Anne explained, attempting to remain calm herself. "So if you want to help, lend her your magic!"

"But...how do we do that?" Lola asked, fighting back tears.

"Like this." Lucy monotoned as she strolled over to Sibella and touched her arm. Her own magical aura radiated from her like light in the darkness; probably the strongest aura in the hall next to Sibella's. "Those who want to help, join hands." She held out her other hand to the others. Rita was quick to take hold of it without hesitation, followed by Leni and Lola (as they were right there).

"Come on, girls." Lynn Sr said, walking over and putting his arm around Rita.

"Let's start a love train...to save our bro." Luna said as she took Lola's free hand. One by one, the remaining sisters joined the healing circle. While their magical energies were, for the most part, negligible, their numbers seemed to make up for it. Sibella was looking more relieved.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Winnie said with a grin.

"...seletorvar!" Sibella yelled as she finished the second stanza. Ronnie Anne grabbed the wooden stake with both hands, ready to make a move once the vampiress gave her the signal. She gave her a weak nod. RA nodded back and pulled with all her might. With some effort, the stake came right now. There was no turning back now. It was now or never. "Emmo…..Emmora…sel…...seleta….."

"You gotta be kidding me…" An aghast Lynn said. "We're still short!?"

"What are we going to do now?" Leni asked, starting to panic. Lucy bowed her head and started to whisper to herself.

"Great Grandma Harriet...if you can see and hear us...please...help us in our time of need…" She prayed, tears starting to trickle from under her eye concealing bangs. What she didn't know was her Grandmother was, indeed, right there, watching from above. However, with her weak presence, there was little she could do...by herself. Upon hearing Lucy's cry for help, however, she sprang into action, her spirit soaring down from the ceiling and diving right into Lynn Sr's body. The moment she possessed him, his eyes opened wide, staring blankly ahead, and his magical aura surged from him like an anime hero powering up.

"Emmora seletath enned!" He chanted, though his voice was what was coming out of his mouth. Everyone in the healing group just stared at him for a moment in utter amazement, but there was no time to ask questions. Time was not on their side.

"Rezent IXTORA MAVAAAAALAAAAAAAAAA!" Sibella and the possessed Loud father intoned together, a bright light shining from Lincoln's stake wound. Right before their eyes, the blood stopped trying to seep out and the wound started to seal itself up. Bone, muscle, skin, nerve and tissue were regenerated in a matter of seconds. With the spell complete, the auras started to fade, and Sibella was falling forward. Lucy and Tanis quickly caught her to keep her from hitting the floor or Lincoln.

"It...it worked!" Winnie cheered.

"Lincoln's gonna be ok!" Lana and Lola hugged each other, crying happy tears.

"Don't celebrate just yet…" Lisa interjected, looking her older brother over carefully. "The damage may have been healed, but he still lost a lot of blood...he'll need a transfusion, post haste."

"There's an ambulance out there! They can get Linc to a hospital!"

"An ambulance? When did they arrive?" Gila inquired, confused.

"I called 911 not long after I got here...they were too late to catch that psycho…" Lynn Sr informed them. Milly swore under her breath, but in martian, so no one understood her except Lisa.

"I'll carry him." Gosuki offered, easily picking up Lincoln gently in her arms. The Loud family (except for two) led the way back to the stairs, followed closely by Gosuki and the rest of the girls, Ronnie Anne helping the tired vampiress along. The only two left behind were Lucy and Lynn Sr. She looked up at her father, into his eyes, and smiled.

"Thank you, Great Grandma Harriet." She said softly.

"You're quite welcome dear." She replied through her grandson's mouth, before she left his body, leaving him dazed and confused.

"What just happened?" He asked, worried and confused.

"I'll explain later. Come on. We gotta get Lincoln to an ambulance." Lucy said, taking her father by the hand and running off after the group.

* * *

Outside, the police were questioning both Miss Grimwood and Vincent Van Ghoul about what had just occurred, while paramedics were struggling to get through, along with Shaggy and his canine friends.

"...and then he vanished in a puff of smoke." Mr Van Ghoul told a blonde haired female officer with a ponytail.

"Normally, I'd call foul on that...but since I saw that for myself, I know it's true." The officer said as she took notes. It was then everyone started pouring out of the building: The Loud parents, all their children, the kaiju with Lincoln in her arms, the Grimwood Girls, and finally Ronnie Anne and Sibella. Her eyes grew wide at the sight, particularly at all the bruises, cuts and injuries. "What happened to all of you!?"

"That creep, Sigmund Lesrec, happened." Lynn Jr answered, her teeth grit in anger.

"Officer, we would be more than happy to assist you with your questions." Lisa spoke up, stepping up to the cop. "However, my brother had been badly injured during Mr Lesrec's assault and, while the worst of his wounds are dealt with, he is in desperate need of a transfusion. Would you be so kind as to allow Suki to bring Lincoln to the paramedics before we continue?" The lady blinked and looked up at the pale boy, making her go quite pale as well.

"Of course...go ahead." She said, letting the kaiju stomp past.

"Thank you." The grateful toddler said before turning toward the monster girls. "Ladies, as you were here at the start of this crime, I believe you should go first, to give them the full story."

"Well, it was about ten, fifteen minutes ago or so, when it all started...roughly. " Winnie started, before she and the others started to tell how Sigmund broke into the school (with Mrs Loud interjecting that he had said he got in through the basement), and they were forced to defend themselves.

"...So he broke into the house specifically to hurt you?" The officer inquired, taking notes.

"Kill, actually…" Sibella corrected her. "He had every intention of killing us. And he probably would have if not for the Loud family."

"...he tried to kill children...?"

"Sad, but true, officer." Lisa said with a shake of her head. "And he nearly did the same to us. All these injuries we've sustained were a result of trying to stop this madman from murdering these girls and our brother."

"You know, you really should try to take the law into your own hands…"

"Yeah!? Well, what would YOU have done if it were your kid, or your brother, about to shot, stabbed, chopped to pieces, or blown up!?" Lynn Jr snapped. She probably would have gotten in the officer's face if Lori, Leni and Luna hadn't stopped her.

"...the same thing you did, I suppose." She answered with a sigh. "...wait...blown up?"

"Good grief, that's right! There's still a bomb in the basement." Lori exclaimed in fright.

"No way we can get a bomb squad here quick enough to deal with it…"

"Relax, Madam. I have it covered." Vincent said, before he started to walk toward the school.

"Hold it...who are you?" Rita asked, stepping in front of the warlock.

"Allow me to introduce myself, ma'am. I am Vincent Van Ghoul." He told her in a calm, polite tone.

"Wait...THE Vincent Van Ghoul!?" Sibella asked in absolute surprise.

"You know him, Sibella?"

"Any magic enthusiast worth this magical salt knows of Mr Van Ghoul."

"You flatter me, Miss Dracula. But yes, I am an accomplished warlock, as well as a good friend of Abigail's. Now, if you will excuse me…"

"Um...Mr Van Ghoul…" Tanis piped up, slowly approaching the serious looking man. "Before you do….can you help our friend Phantasma?" She reached into the pocket of her bandaged dress and pulled out the crystal that housed their spectral friend.

"Of course, young one. That's an easy one." He replied with a soft smile, taking the artifact in hand. "Ahem…..Ixtavore!" He cried out. The gem shone bright before expelling Phanty from within. She drifted to the ground, looking borderline traumatized. Vincent pocketed the jewel (with the intention to destroy it later) and made his way into the building, while Phanty's friends were trying to comfort her.

"Now, hold on, sir!" The officer tried to stop him.

"It's ok, Officer...he is a professional." Miss Grimwood told her, slowly walking over to them, looking really tired at this point.

"Miss Grimwood!" The ghoul girls all ran over to their headmistress, giving her a big hug (even Milly, to everyone's surprise).

"My poor girls...I am so sorry…" She said, hugging them back as she fought back tears. "I never should have left…"

"Don't be sorry…" Gila said, looking sadly up at her.

"You had no way of knowing this could have happened…" Sibella added.

"And we're all alright." Winnie said, in a reassuring tone. "Well, Elsa will be once she gets recharged."

"And Lincoln will all better with a transplantation." Leni spoke up.

"Transfusion." Luna corrected her.

"Right. That." Leni's sisters just kind of sighed at her, Lisa shaking her head when the ground started to shake. "What was that?"

"Earthquake?" Luan suggested as the ground shook again about a second later.

"Earthquakes don't typically go in a pattern like that." The toddler genius said.

"It's Daddy!" Suki cried out as the shaking became louder and was accompanied by a stomping sound, as well as the flap of wings. Sure enough, the king of giant monsters tromped over beside the school. Landing beside him was a massive moth monster.

"Godzilla! And Mothra too!" Lana looked about ready to burst with excitement. "Eeeeeeee!"

"Look! They're not the only ones here." Lori pointed out, as Dracula, Poppa Werewolf, Frankenteen Sr and all the others climbed down from Mothra's back and came running up to them. Lynn Sr promptly made himself scarce, hiding behind Miss Grimwood and the police officer.

"Sibella! Are you alright!?" The count called out as his daughter stumbled over to him to give him a hug.

"I'll be fine, Daddy. I'm just tired from casting a really big spell." Sibella explained.

"Godzilla told us that his daughter called him about a crazy monster hunter…" The Phantom spoke up, looking around the area. "So where is he?" It was right at this point that an even stranger sight than any they had seen so far occured. A beat up old sedan...that was flying!? It came soaring right toward the school grounds before coming to a stop just short of the ground and slowly lowering to the ground. Detective Talon leaped out of the car, closely followed by Mrs Talon.

"Where is he!? Where is Sigmund Lesrec!?" He demanded to know, one hand on his revolver under his coat.

"I'm sorry, Detective...but I'm afraid he already ran off." Miss Grimwood explained, the police officers standing around with stunned looks on their faces.

"Curse it all…" He growled.

"We share your frustration, detective." Poppa Werewolf told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Indeed. Ve would like to get our hands on this scoundrel as vell." Count Dracula agreed. Lisa glanced over at the police officers, who still looked like they were wondering what else could happen today. She smirked slightly and gently tugged on the count's cape.

"Count Dracula. Might I have a word with you and the other parents in private, please?" The vampire lord looked down at Lisa with a raised eyebrow. "I insist, and I promise it will be worth your while." His curiosity piqued, he motioned for the other monster fathers, as well as the Talons, to go with Lisa. She moved over close to where Godzilla stood and, upon making sure no one followed her, started to speak. "I understand you all wish to find Mr Lesrec, after all he has done."

"Of course. What about it, kid?" The Creature inquired, his arms crossed.

"Well, during our skirmish in the halls of Grimwood, I took the liberty of planting a tracking device in him." The little brainiac said, a little smugly, buffing her nails against her sweater. THIS got the attention of all the parents in the huddle. "And what's more, I have a device here which can track the device from several hundred miles away." She added, pulling the tracker from her pocket, which looked like a calculator.

"You don't say? You little genius, you." Cynthia said with a big smirk.

"I don't suppose you vould let us...borrow...your little invention, vould you?" Dracula asked with an expectant grin.

"Originally, I was going to offer it to the police." Lisa explained. "However, Mr Lesrec could easily escape from the police, and simply return to finish the job. This problem requires a more…"

"...permanent solution?" Trent suggested.

"Precisely." Lisa nodded before handing Dracula the tracker.

"Young lady, ve owe you big time for this."

"Think nothing of it. Just do me one little favor, and give him one good hit each for Lincoln."

"Speaking of, where is the boy?" Tanis' Mummy Daddy inquired, looking back at the group of Louds.

"Yeah. I don't see him anywhere." Trent commented.

"He was taken to the hospital after the encounter. He had taken a stake to the shoulder for Sibella, from what I hear, and lost a lot of blood." The count looked shocked at first, but then positively furious.

"I vill indeed, Miss Loud...And I promise you, he vill not escape."

"I second that." Poppa Werewolf said.

"Third that." Trent said as he checked his revolver.

"That goes for all of us too." Frankenteen Sr said, in a calm, but angry tone.

"Thank you. I bid you all a good hunt and...if the police ask, you didn't get that from me." The monster parents and the Talons all nodded as they all returned to the group to say goodbye to their daughters and Miss Grimwood, and hurried back to their rides. All except for Dracula.

"I vill catch up in a moment. I have to go pick up a 'friend' from Scotland before I continue." He said, wrapping his cape around himself before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Like...I'm sorry we were gone when this happened everyone…" Shaggy apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

"Where were you anyway!?" Lynn Sr asked angrily, finally getting out from behind Miss Grimwood.

"Hey! You leave Shaggy alone!" Scrappy snapped, stepping between his uncle's owner and the angry father. Lynn Sr just looked at Scrappy, dumbstruck. Yes, he had been told Scrappy could talk and such, but experiencing it in person...it was surreal experience for him. "He had to get me out of the pound, since some jerk bum stole my collar!"

"A jerk bum?" Luan asked.

"Yeah. A guy with dirt all over his clothes and face."

"...Sigmund had dirt all over his face when we first met him…" Rita said, a frown on her face as she recalled that moment.

"Ro...rhe ronster runter rook Rappy's rollar?" Scooby inquired.

"I have no idea what you just said, but I'm assuming you're asking if he was responsible...and I think so." The Loud mother confirmed. "Probably to get you all out of the way before he struck."

"Oh...in which case, I'm sorry for getting so upset, Mr Rogers."

"Think nothing of it, Mr Loud. I'm pretty upset that we fell for it too." Shaggy replied with a shrug.

"What I wouldn't give to really splat that jerk!" Scrappy said as he stamped his feet into the dirt, nearing a tantrum.

"I wouldn't worry so much about him." Lisa said with a knowing smile. The others would have asked what she meant, but that was when Mr Van Ghoul returned, carrying Matches in his arms, who was wrapped up in chains and looked TICKED.

"Well, that takes care of that." He said. "Oh, and I found this little fella by this big hole in your basement."

"Matches! Oh dear...did that nasty hunter do this to you?" Miss Grimwood asked as she took the little dragon into her arms. He nodded, looking kind of sad and pathetic now as the motherly witch freed him.

"What exactly did you do to the bomb, sir?" The police officer inquired nervously.

"Oh, I sent it into a pocket dimension where it can detonate without hurting anyone." Vincent replied with a bit of a smirk.

* * *

Inside said pocket dimension, all there was was dark, billowing purple smoke. Purple smoke as far as they eye can see. That, and two yellow ghosts; one short and rotund, and the other tall and thin. The taller of the two looked grumpy, sitting with his head in his hands, while the other was sitting around and looking around with a dim smile on his face. "Hey, Weerd! How about we play I Spy?" The little fat ghost asked

"Bogel…."

"I spy with my little eye….something purple."

"It's clouds!" Weerd shouted, finally standing up. "It's always clouds! That's all that's in this cursed dimension! Clouds, clouds clouds!"

"...well, I was looking at that one that kinda looks like that dog we tricked into opening the demon chest before." Bogel replied, pointing over to said cloud which (at this point) looked nothing like Scooby.

"...what did I ever do to deserve being stuck here with you…?" He asked, his palm on his face, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Well, we did fail to keep the thirteen ghosts from-"

"SHUT. UP." Weerd turned his back to his dumpy friend, glaring out into the darkness. It was about this time when Sigmund's makeshift explosive (which looked like a beer keg with some wires and electronics set into it), appeared within the prison space, in front of Bogel.

"Weerd! Look!"

"I don't want to play I Spy, you idiot!"

"No! Look! Something new!" The taller of the two ghosts doesn't even glance in the direction Bogel was pointing. Seeing his friend wasn't interested, the short ghost decided to give this new item a closer look. "Gee. It looks pretty heavy...and covered in wires."

"Wires?" This got Weerd's attention, his head turning. "What the hey is that?"

"I have no idea...OOOOOO! What does this button do?" He asked, pointing at a big red button.

"No! Don't push it!" Weerd cried out, right when Bogel pressed the glowing red button. What followed was a massive 'BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!', an equally big fireball and black smoke, and shrapnel everywhere. When the smoke eventually cleared, both ghosts were flat on their backs, covered in soot and looking like swiss cheese.

"Wooo….got a bang out of that, eh Weerd?" Bogel asked with a chuckle.

"...just shut up…."

* * *

"I see…" The officer said, unable to think of anything else to say to that. "Well, I think we have all the information we need...we'll keep a few cars patrolling here for the next couple nights, once we tow the wrecks away, and we'll search the area thoroughly for the suspect, Miss Grimwood."

"Thank you so much, officer." Abigail said as the cops start to get to work on dealing with the wrecked cop cars (which thankfully didn't result in any injuries.

"Shaggy, do you think you could give us a lift to the hospital?" Rita asked, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Fine by me, Mrs Loud, but I can't bring all of you at once." Shaggy explained. "The Mystery Machine doesn't have that many seats or seat belts."

"We can make that work. Thank you, Shaggy." She looked to Lynn Sr and their children.

"Well, Mom and Dad should go first. That's a given." Lori said.

"Agreed. I feel Lana and Lucy should go first as well, as they share a blood type with Lincoln, in the off chance the hospital is running low." Lisa added logically.

"That just leaves one more seat.." Shaggy said, looking at them all. The remaining Loud kids go into a huddle to discuss this. After some quiet, but heated debate, Lynn Jr stepped forward.

"Lori, you're in charge of your sisters while we're away." Rita said, though it really went without saying.

"I'll come back for the rest of you shortly." The ever hungry man said as the group ran over to the Mystery Machine at the back of the line of police cars.

* * *

Late into the night, many miles away, Sigmund had taken to hiding in the densest, darkest forest he could find, making a small camp among the overgrowth. To say his ego was bruised would be an understatement, and he couldn't be more angry about it. He had failed in his mission, lost all of his equipment save for a single sword and one stake he had retrieved after escaping the blood boosted Sibella, and didn't even kill ANY of the monsters. The only consolation he had was the thought that Lincoln had bled out, leaving one less disgusting traitor in the world. "I won't make the same mistake as last time…" He growled to himself. "Next time, they won't even know I'm there. I'll simply slay them all in their sleep: the monsters, the traitors, all of them…" He punched the dirt below him in his anger before he gazed into the little campfire he had started. As he pondered his next move, a large black bat came flapping down, hovering around him. He glared up at the winged mammal and swung his fist at it. "Get lost, you flying rat…" The bat flew away from him and came to float opposite him, before turning into his true form of Count Dracula. Sigmund lept to his feet, shocked to see the vampire lord in his presence. "Dracula!"

"Sigmund Lesrec. Ve meet at last." He said with a big grin.

"How on Earth did you find me!?"

"You mean how did VE find you?" He said, gesturing to either side of him as the Wolfman, Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenteen Sr, and The Phantom joined the vampire father in the light. Sigmund started to go a little pale now.

"And to answer that question, Little Miss Loud put a tracking device in you." Frankenteen Sr informed him. Sigmund's hand instantly went to his shoulder as the frightful realization hit him. "And now, you cannot hide from any of us." In a desperate attempt to put up a defense, he quick drew his last sword and stake. Before he could even make any further moves, a shot and an odd electrical sound rang out. The wooden stake exploded in his hand as a powerful bullet struck it, and a plasma blast simply melted the steel blade into slag.

"Did you really think you could get away with hurting our children, Lesrec?" Trent asked, his smoking revolver still pointed at the hunter as he emerged from the darkness, Cynthia right by his side with her high tech rifle in hand. "You're rap sheet claimed you were smart…" The monster hater started to back up, away from the very angry parents, until he backed up into what he thought was a tree. A...strangely furry tree? He slowly glanced up when he felt a burst of hot wind on his head. Glaring down at him was a huge half woman, half bull creature, carrying in one hand what looked like a literal tree trunk. Her fur was grayish, she was incredibly buff, and she was wearing a red muscle shirt and black jogging pants.

"So, this is the scum who hurt me son?" She asked in a strong scottish accent. Lacking any other options, Sigmund made a mad dash for the only direction not covered by parents out for his blood. He didn't get too far, as a gargantuan scaly foot stomped down right in his path. Now he was completely surrounded; no weapons, no escape, and in no condition to fight against so many very powerful monsters and two very vengeful humans. Cynthia pointed her plasma rifle at him, but her husband gently pushed the barrel away.

"Now that's not fair, honey." He said as he put his own gun away and pulled out some brass knuckles. "Let's give everyone a chance at him." Cynthia looked at her weapon for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face, before she deactivated it and pulled the coil from the barrel, turning it into some kind of shock baton. "That's my brilliant girl." He said with a grin before looking back to the man who had hurt their children. His back was pressed against Godzilla's foot as each wrathful parent swarmed upon him, punching, kicking, clawing, and beating him with whatever they were carrying.

* * *

The next day, late into the afternoon, Lincoln's eyes slowly started to open. His vision was very blurry and he was feeling pretty scatterbrained. He wasn't even sure where he was. The snow haired boy did remember parts of his encounter with Sigmund. A vague memory of his stake wound. But everything else was a blur. "Hey...he's awake!" Said a red, white and brown glob in his sight.

"Lincoln? How are you feeling?" Inquired a tall, yellowish blur that sounded familiar.

"M...Mom?"

"Yes, dear. I'm here. We all are." Rita told him, gently patting his hand. The boy blinked a few times, his vision clearing a little with each blink. His room started to come into focus: a hospital room with a bed beside his (which was empty), a small tv hanging on the wall, and a large window on the wall opposite the door. More importantly, his visitors were becoming clearer to him: his parents, all of his sisters (Lily included), Ronnie Anne, Mr and Mrs Talon, and all the Grimwood Girls except for Gosuki. She was standing outside the open window and leaning in. Given how crowded it already was in the room, that was probably for the best.

"Oh...hey everyone." He managed to say before all his family, friends and girlfriends went in for the biggest group hug ever (once more except for Suki).

"You had us pretty darn worried there, bro." Luna said with a big smile.

"You were out for almost a full day after your transfusion." Elsa told him, looking fully charged and healthy.

"How are you feeling, Linc?" Lana asked, sitting on his bed beside him.

"I feeling kind disoriented...a little dizzy...but otherwise, I think I'm alright...what about the rest of you?"

"Mostly just bruises and bumps. Thankfully, nothing broken." Lori commented.

"Speak for yourself...I can't be seen in public with an eye like this…" Lola complained, pointing to her eyepatch.

"You could say you're preparing for the 'Little Miss Swashbuckler' pageant." Luan said with a slight giggle.

"Hmph...that's not even being held in Michigan…" She responded, making Luan pause to think:

'Wait...that's a thing!?'

"Point is, none of the damage done is lasting." Lynn interjected to keep things on topic.

"If only that evil man didn't get away with it…" Tanis said, looking kind of glum.

"Actually...that's something I've been meaning to tell you." Trent spoke up, getting their attention. "I can't go into too many details, as the investigation is still ongoing and, truthfully, it's a little gruesome...but, this morning, I was called in to an investigation near the state line…"

* * *

Out in the woods, a tall, hispanic state trooper with a bushy brown mustache and short brown hair was looking an area of the forest that was covered with a tarp, over what looked like a fallen section of tree. Some of the surrounding plants had blood of them, and a huge section of the forest near the scene was destroyed, as if it had been stepped on. He shook his head a bit as Detective Talon managed to push his way through the thick vegetation. "Detective Trent Talon, CIA: Supernatural Happenings division." He introduced himself.

"Sergeant Maurice Sanchez. Thank you for coming out so quickly." Maurice responded.

"If you can call that quickly...kind of an out of the way, isn't it?"

"No joke. We probably wouldn't have even come out here if someone hadn't said they saw something big out here the other night." The policeman explained as he brought the detective over to the scene.

"I guess that's why Supernatural Happenings was called in?" Officer Sanchez nodded in reply.

"Yes. I can't say I know what happened here...but it certainly wasn't natural." He explained. "...just as a warning, detective...this is pretty horrible stuff…"

"I've been around the block a few times, buddy. It'll take a lot to turn my stomach." Trent told him.

"...if you say so." Maurice carefully lifted the edge of the tarp, showing him the utter mess underneath. It was so grisly that it made the detective wince a bit.

"Yikes...that is what I call brutal…" Detective Talon commented. "What happened here?"

"We're not entirely sure. Never seen anything like it before…"

"Hmmm. How about the victim? Any leads on them?"

"Unfortunately, their face was mangled beyond recognition...but we were able to find some ID on their...uh….person." He held a blood stained driver's license to the detective.

"...Sigmund Lesrec, eh? Been looking for this guy…." Trent said with a frown.

"Oh? What'd he do?"

"Mass murderer. Hunted and killed monsters, claiming it was a service to humanity." The Detective explained, handing back the license. "The guy even sent my little girl to the hospital."

"Yeesh...guess karma caught up with him….or something, at any rate." Officer Sanchez said, looking over at the crushed trees nearby.

"Yeah. It does look like the guy signed a check his hindsection couldn't cash, and he paid for it." Trent commented as he went in for a closer look. "...whatever it was was big...strong too, but the look of it. Almost literally tore the guy apart...signs of claw marks...and burns too…" He stood back up and placed a finger on his chin as he thought, the state trooper covering the remains of the body. "If I had to hazard a guess as to what happened, I'd say the great 'monster hunter' came out here looking for some kinda fight...and found something too big for him." He looked over at the flattened section of woodland. "...MUCH too big. Probably something like a dragon, or reasonable facsimile therein."

"Do you really think something like that exists around here?" The highway patrolman asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Can't deny it's possible. The CIA will launch an investigation and see if we can find out what did this and whether or not it poses any further threat."

"Thank goodness...we're not equipped to handle something like a dragon…"

"Don't get too antsy. After all, it could have just been protecting itself from attack and just wants to be left alone. But we can't say for sure without further investigation." He looked toward the now shaky officer and said. "Hey..how about after we're done here, after your shift, we get a few drinks? On me."

"Thanks...after THAT, I could use a stiff one."

"You and me both, buddy…"

* * *

"...short version, courtesy of whatever was out there, Sigmund Lesrec won't be bothering anyone ever again." He finished. He had thankfully omitted a lot of information pertaining to what he saw under the tarp; he didn't want to traumatize any of the children present after all.

"Can't really say I'm sorry to see him go…" Rita said, looking relieved her children and the Grimwood girls would be safe.

"I do not usually speak ill of the dead, but may he burn." Lucy said in a scarier monotone than usual.

"Thank goodness...may that be the last we ever see of him." Phantasma commented, still kinda shaky after her imprisonment, but getting better.

"Here here." Cynthia agreed. Lisa was smirking slightly as she listened in the background. She knew there was more to the story than that, but she couldn't say anything, lest she get herself (and possible the good detective) in a lot of trouble. Lincoln looked relieved as he rested back on his pillow.

"Mrs Loud...did the doctor's say when Lincoln will be able to come back to Grimwood's?" Little Tanis asked, turning to look at Rita.

"It maybe several days." She replied. "He needs some time to rest and regain his strength."

"At least Linky's gonna be ok." Lola said, her smile finally returning.

"I hear you put up quite a fight, Linc." Lynn said, grinning a bit. "Wanna tell us about it?"

"Hehe. Maybe another time, Lynn." The white haired lad said with a weak smile. "Right now...I think I need a nap…"

"Really? You were sleeping this whole time..." Lynn moaned in disappointment.

"Now now, Junior…" Lynn Sr said, ruffling her hair a little. "Lincoln's been through a lot, and needs some time to recover. We'll be back to see him soon enough and he can tell you when he's feeling better."

"Well...alright." Lynn Jr said, though she didn't really like the answer.

"And on that note, we'll let you get your much needed rest, Lincoln." Rita said, starting to herd the Loud children out, Sibella getting her friends together.

"Alright. We'll see you tomorrow after school, Lincoln." Lori said, waving to her little brother.

"Bye Lincoln. See you tomorrow." Sibella called you.

"See you, Big Brother." Lola, Lana and Tanis all said together, looking to one another after and giggling. One by one, the others said their goodbyes until the one son was all by himself in his room, closing his eyes and drifting off into a nap.

* * *

A few hours later, in the dead of the night, Lincoln was doing a little comic book reading, after he finished his nap and had his dinner. He wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around him, so he never saw the bat that had flapped its way into his room. He did, however, notice when the bat had turned into Count Dracula. "Ah! C...Count Dracula…" Lincoln gasped, his comic flying out of his hands and onto the floor.

"Good evening, Lincoln." He replied, moving over to him with purposeful strides.

"H..How did you get in? I thought you couldn't enter a place without being invited.." The Count chuckled.

"True, but I've done business vith this hospital before. Ve modern vampires have forgone hunting for blood by purchasing excess blood bags from hospitals and blood banks." He explained. "Much simpler and looks less...monstrous in the eyes of the public. But I digress. I am here for a reason. Two reasons, in fact." The white haired boy gulped a bit, wondering what exactly he did. His answer came quite soon. "My dear Sibella told me about vhat happened at Grimwood's vhen I visited her this morning. Told me how you had fought to protect them, and fought alongside her against that monster hunter...and especially how you took a stake meant for her." The fear was starting to leave the boy's eyes as Dracula's own eyes seemed softer than before. "As I said on Halloween, Sibella is my pride and joy. I don't know what I would do if something would have happened to her...but thanks to you, she is safe. Thank you, Lincoln Loud." He finished with a bow of his head.

"Y...You're welcome, Count." The middle Loud replied, still kinda twitchy. "I love Sibella dearly, and wouldn't want her hurt or worse…"

"Indeed. By the vay, she also told me about your...expansive relationship." A chill ran down Lincoln's spine when he heard this. Once more, Dracula chuckled. "Relax, Lincoln. I am not upset about it."

"You're not?"

"Certainly not. My daughter is happy vith your relationship, so vhy should I be? Besides, I myself have many brides. I am many things, young man, but a hypocrite is not one of them….usually." He laughed at that, and Lincoln did as well. "But back on topic...you have my gratitude for coming to not just my daughter's aid, but the aid of all the girls, and I am pleased to hear you are on the road to recovery. To offer you my thanks was one reason for coming here."

"What was the other reason?" In answer, the vampire lord pulled out the tracker that Lisa had given to him the other day and handed it to Lincoln.

"To ask you to return this to Lisa vhen you see her next, and give her my thanks as well." He replied. The Loud warlock looked pretty confused about this, but thought it probably wasn't worth questioning. He'd probably be happier not knowing the answers.

"Sure. She'll be coming by tomorrow, so I'll make sure she gets it then."

"Excellent. Vith that, I von't keep you any longer. You no doubt need your rest." He said, picking up the boy's comic and placing it on his lap. "Good night, Lincoln."

"Good night, Count Dracula." The young man replied, as the Count transformed back into a bat and flew right out the open window again. Lincoln slowly climbed out of bed and shut the window before he crawled back under the covers. He was feeling pretty good at this point, if still kinda weak. His friends, family, and the girls he loved were safe, Sigmund Lesrec would never threaten them again, he was going to be alright, and he earned some respect points with Dracula. 'Overall…' He thought as he closed his eyes. '...a happy end to what was otherwise a terrifying experience…'


	32. Epilogue

A new day

Over the next couple days, the Loud kids and girls from Grimwood visited Lincoln whenever they could, as promised. And each day, Lincoln's strength and energy returned to him. By the coming Wednesday, the Loud warlock was declared well enough to be released from the hospital. He was pretty grateful for that, since he was getting very tired of just laying around watching tv all day. After taking care of the paperwork with the help of Shaggy, he was finally on his way back to school. "Bet you're glad to be out of there." The scruffy man said as he drove his van down the road.

"I sure am." Lincoln told him with a soft smile. "After all that training I did, the inactivity was starting to drive me kinda crazy." The two of them chuckled lightly. "Hope I didn't miss a lot of schoolwork…"

"Nah. Miss Grimwood put classes on hold." Shaggy explained, "The building needed repairs after Sigmund's attack, she needed to review the applications she collected at the convention, and she needed to work with Mr Van Ghoul to discuss his lesson plan."

"Sounds like she's been really busy…" The one son said, his expression becoming sadder. He remembered how bad Miss Grimwood felt about the end of the Revolta Incident. He imagined she was probably beating herself up pretty badly over Sigmund's invasion; even if it wasn't her fault. 'I hope she'll be alright…' He thought to himself. The rest of the short ride was made in silence, Shaggy focusing on the road and Lincoln simply staring out at the window until he parked inside on the grounds. The middle son climbed out of the Mystery Machine, Miss Grimwood had emerged from the school building to greet him.

"Welcome back, Lincoln. Feeling ok now, I hope?" She asked, leaning over to look him in the eyes, as if to make sure she was being honest with her.

"Thanks, Miss Grimwood. Yeah, I'm feeling better. Not gonna be running any marathons anytime soon, but I'm well enough to be out and about." He answered, not breaking eye contact.

"Good. Good. The girls will be so happy to hear you're back." Abigail told him. "I believe I saw them up by your room earlier."

"Are you doing alright, Miss Grimwood?" The young man asked.

"Oh, don't worry about me, dear. I'm just fine." She told him, patting him on the head. "Go on and go see your friends, Lincoln." He wasn't entirely convinced, but didn't pursue it. He simply nodded to her with a soft smile and bid her good afternoon before he went upstairs. Oddly, when he reached the door to his room, he found no one there, but his door was ajar. This struck the one son as curious, since the girls didn't usually go into his room when he wasn't there...except Phantasma to set up an ambush. However, when he opened the door, no one was in there either. There was, however, a note on his teleportation orb. On the note was written, in very tiny handwriting so Lincoln need to get very close to read it, 'Don't Move'.

"Don't move?" The boy from Royal Woods said out loud, scratching his head. While he was considering this, the orb was filling with green smoke. Just when he was about to start looking for his friends, Lincoln vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

The white haired lad just blinked as he suddenly found himself in the living room of the Loud House. Not only that, but he was surrounded by his sisters, his parents, his friends from Grimwood, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby. He didn't quite catch this as he was a little disoriented, but he snapped out of it as they all cheered "Welcome back, Lincoln!" The moment he realized where he was and especially who he was with, he smiled brightly at them all.

"Shaggy told us you were coming back, so we all arranged a little welcome back party for you." Sibella told him, smiling in return to the mortal boy she loved so much.

"It's good to see you up on your feet again, bro." Lynn Jr said, walking over to pat her brother on the back.

"How's your shoulder feeling?" Lucy inquired.

"Fine. It was a little stiff when I first came to in the hospital, but it's fine now." Lincoln replied, swinging his arm a bit to show them all was well.

"We're so glad you're all better, big brother." Tanis said, giving Lincoln a big hug.

"Linkin! Linkin!" Lily agreed, toddling over to hug his leg. This brought a collective "Aaawwwww!" from everyone in the room. Well, not verbally from Milly, but she thought it. About that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Is anyone expecting company?" Lynn Sr asked, walking toward the door.

"I texted Clyde earlier that Lincoln was coming back home. I'll bet that's him." Lori explained. However, when her father answered the door, he found Trent and Cynthia at the door, an arm around one another and looking in good spirits.

"Oh. Good afternoon, Trent, Cynthia." He greeted them with a smile.

"Hi Lynn. How are you today? How's the family?" The detective asked.

"We're doing wonderfully, thanks. Lincoln just got back home from the hospital and we were about to have a little celebration. Care to join us?" He offered the two of them.

"Well, that's wonderful." Cynthia replied with a smile of her own. "And we're in the mood to celebrate as well." Before the Loud father could inquire any further, the two of them stepped to one side, revealing Zanya; awake, alive (so to speak) and as chipper as the day she first arrived. She waved to them with a big smile on her face.

"ZANYA!" Lola, Lana, Leni, Phanty, Tanis, Winnie and Gila all cried out as all of them dashed to the door and tackled the zombie girl into the grass with the force of their combined hugs.

"Hahaha. Come on guys. I just got out of the hospital and you're trying to send me back?" She joked while laughing.

"We're just so happy to see you again." Lana told her, tears of happiness spilling from her eyes. The rest of the Louds soon emerged from the house, along with Sibella, Milly, Suki, Elsa. It was such a sweet scene most of them couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Lincoln stepped over to them and help Zanya back up.

"Good to see you again, Zanya." He said to her.

"Same to you, Lincoln. Mom and Dad told me about what happened while I was out." The ghoul girl told him. "I'm sorry you all ended up getting hurt by that horrible man…" She added, her face falling to a look of sadness and guilt.

"It's ok, Zanya...we're all fine and-" Sibella started to say.

"But it wouldn't have happened at all if I hadn't told him about the Calloway School…" She confessed, on the verge of tears. Everyone went silent after her confession, which lead her to explaining what had happened in the forest before Lana and Lola came into the picture. "...and when my stomach pains became too much to bear...I told him about Calloway…."

"...Old or New?" Winnie finally asked.

"...what?" The zombie girl was uncertain she heard her correctly.

"Old or New Calloway?" The werewolf repeated herself.

"I don't understand…"

"Before Halloween, the Old Calloway school closed down, and they opened a new, large school several miles away." Elsa explained to her.

"I...didn't realize that. I thought there was only one."

"I'll bet he probably used a map app to look for Calloway after you mentioned it." Lori reasoned, smirking a bit. "And with the old school closed down, I don't doubt he ended up being led right to the New Calloway school." She had no way of knowing this for sure, but she was trying to help Zanya feel better. It wasn't working.

"Still...I shouldn't have said anything…." The guilt ridden undead girl said, looking toward the grass.

"Zanya...no one blames you for what happened." Tanis told her, looking back to all of their friends. "Right?" Everyone nodded. "See?"

"It all turned out alright in the end, Zanya. No one was seriously hurt, and Sigmund won't be bothering anyone anymore." Lincoln told her, gently lifting her chin so she would look at them.

"But...you almost-"

"Zanya, don't beat yourself up about it." The one son interrupted her. "I'm fine now. We all are…" She sniffled a bit as she looked at him.

"The only one who deserved to get beaten up was that creep...and boy did he." Lynn commented, punching her fist into her hand.

"Speaking of, Mr Talon, how has your investigation going?" Sibella asked.

"Mother dragon protecting her eggs." He said simply. "He went to slay her, bit off more than he could chew, and she left to find a new place to hide and protect her eggs." This was a lie, of course, but they didn't need to know that. Lisa smirked at the two and gave them a covert thumbs up, while Cynthia nodded slightly in return.

"And what about Malora? What happened to her?" Zanya inquired.

"Her trial was just the other day." Lola piped up, pulling up the news article on her cell and showing it to her. "She got ten years: eight in juvie and two in grown up jail."

"Serves her right." came the voice of Chandler from just down the sidewalk. All eyes turned to see him, Clyde, Haiku, Liam, Rusty, Zach, Girl Jordan and Stella headed down the walk, headed right for them.

"Whoo wee. Looks like it's a regular party here." Liam commented with a smirk. Zanya turned to look at her friends and boyfriend and immediately ran to them. She and Chandler hugged each other, Zanya doing her best not to hug him too tight. Her mother just smiled at the sweet scene, while Trent just kinda looked at them. He would have sneered at the boy, but...given what's happened and the fact he did seem to legit care about his little girl..he'll let it slide. Clyde waved to Lincoln before he ran over to the white haired boy, the two of them high fiving.

"Good to see you, buddy!" He said excitedly.

"Likewise, buddy." Lincoln replied.

"We heard you were in the hospital, Lincoln. What happened?" Zach inquired, walking over with Girl Jordan and Haiku.

"Heh. Well, it's a bit of a long story…" Lincoln replied, rubbing his shoulder a little.

"Well, we have time, Lincoln." Jordan told him, putting a hand on his other shoulder.

"Looks like this party is going to be bigger than we thought." Rita commented, looking at all the kids currently on their front lawn.

"Yeeep…" Lynn Sr agreed, nodding his head slightly. "Looks like we're moving things to the backyard."

"But where are we going to get enough refreshments?"

"Don't you worry about that, Rita." Trent interjected. "We'll help you out."

"Is pizza ok?" Cynthia asked, pulling out her own phone.

"That would be perfect." Lynn Sr said with a smile before directing all the kids to the back.

* * *

A couple minutes later, the celebration was starting to really take off in the backyard of the Loud House. Luna was playing guitar while Phanty played the keyboard she loaned her, Haiku was hanging out with Elsa and Winnie (and seemed to really hit it off well with them and the other Grimwood girls), Lola, Lana, Liam, Lynn were playing party games with Tanis, Gosuki and Gila, and Milly was sitting off to the side with Lisa, discussing things no one else (except perhaps Elsa) could understand. Lynn Sr, Rita and Cynthia were serving up some snacks to tide the kids over until the pizzas arrived, while Trent was chatting with Mr Grouse (who initially just wanted to grouse about the party, but soon calmed down enough to just have a friendly chat with the detective). Lori and Bobby were dancing together, with Rusty not far away attempting to bust a move. Chandler was sitting with Zanya by the snack and soda table, letting her know what she missed while she was out and, especially, going into more detail about Malora's trial. "...really, it didn't last long at all." He said with a bit of a shrug. "Right from the bat, her family's lawyer refused to represent her, so she had to go with a state appointed attorney."

"Makes sense." The zombie girl said, her arm around Chandler.

"And once the trial started properly...well, I wasn't there, but I heard from a family friend it was a train wreck. Her main defense was that you were a zombie and a monster and blah blah blah...so you apparently 'deserved what you got'." The cool kid rolled his eyes as he said that.

"Bet that went over well…"

"Oh, it did. But not for her. The judge, from what I heard, really tore into her. Told her that in the eyes of the law, monsters were people too. Called her an entitled little brat and called her out for her callousness and immaturity." Zanya had to giggle at that.

"I wish I could have heard that." She said. "If only someone would have just taken one of my ears into there, just so I could have listened in."

"You can do that?" Chandler asked, looking surprised. "...cool. Anyway, as character witnesses and witnesses to her crime started appearing to testify against her, she started having a meltdown. Got herself a charge of contempt of court along with assault, conspiracy and being an accessory to attempted murder. And when the judge passed sentence, she REALLY threw a tantrum: stomping and crying right in the middle of the courtroom."

"Well, in this case, I can kinda understand. Ten years is a long time." Zanya said. "I wonder if they have any school arrangements in juvie.."

"Probably. I mean, going to school is the law. Besides, it would be double the punishment for her in that case." The two of them shared a soft laugh at that as they settled in to listen to Luna and Phantasma play. Meanwhile, Lincoln was not far away, telling Zach, Girl Jordan, Stella, Lucy, and Clyde about what had happened at Grimwood's, with Sibella and Ronnie Anne beside him, filling in the blanks in his story.

"...And then Sibella and I double teamed him, pounding on him like it were an episode of Dragon Cube X." He related, having his two friends on the edge of their seats. "But the moment we kicked him away, he pulled another weapon on us: a miniature crossbow. Sibella shoved me out of the way to avoid getting hit, but then I created a light sphere and threw it at him, yelling 'Hey Sigmund! Keep your eye on the birdy!' Thinking I was throwing a magic missile at him, he shot it and it exploded, blinding him long enough for Sibella to blast him with her own magic attack."

"Sounds like to two of you make quite a team." Zach commented.

"Don't we know it." Sibella replied, smiling sweetly at Lincoln, getting a blush from him.

"What happened next?" Clyde asked, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"Well, it turns out the jerk had smoke bombs. He threw them at us, kicked me to the ground and pinned Sibella to the wall with arrows." The man with the plan continued. "He then loaded a wooden stake into his bow and aimed it at her. I ran right to her, and got between the stake and her, getting pierced in the shoulder."

"Whoa! Dude, you could have been killed…" Clyde said, his jaw dropped.

"I know, but I wasn't going to let him kill her. Besides, I knew what I was doing, thanks to Tanis."

"What'd she do?" The little conspiracy theorist asked, scratching his head through his messy red hair.

"She had a nightmare some time ago...a nightmare that turned out to be a vision of that attack, so I was forewarned this would happen. And speaking of Tanis, she just went nuts on the guy after. She grabbed him with her bandages and just...Wham! Wham! Wham!" He said as he mimed the way the little mummy pulverized the monster hunter.

"And he got back up after that!?" The amazed, bespectacled boy asked.

"I was as shocked as you are." The middle Loud admitted. "He was about to take another shot at Sibella, but that was when Ronnie Anne jumped in." The tough and proud latina smiled and blushed a little.

"She really saved our lives with her slingshot work." The vampiress added. "Unfortunately, Sigmund still wasn't stopped. But that was when Leni stepped in and threw him clear across the hall..." Sibella and Ronnie Anne picked up the story from there, since Lincoln was pretty much out of the fight. As two of the girls he loved related the story to Clyde and Zach (with Lucy just listening), Lincoln looked over his shoulder and smiled as he noticed the audience.

"Oh. Hey guys. I was wondering when you'd get here." He said in a quiet voice, not wanting to disrupt the tale in progress while turning to face the fourth wall. "It's been quite a ride, hasn't it? I met some amazing girls, learned a lot of cool magic, made a lot of new friends, and even a few enemies. I fell in love several times over, fought a crazy monster hunter, met some of the most powerful monsters in all the world...and I haven't even finished a full year at Grimwood's." He chuckles a bit at that. "It had its highs and its low...but it was a ride I thoroughly enjoyed taking. It does make me wonder though...after all that...what's going to happen next?" He is silent for a moment as he pondered this, then shrugged. "Only one way to find out, I guess."

"Hey you party animals!" Luan called out, carrying a stack of pizza boxes. "Come get a pizza this action. Hahahaha!"

"Oh boy! The pizza's here!" Lynn Jr cheered, rushing over to help Luan bring over the boxes (and get the first slice). Ronnie Anne was about to join them, but Lincoln stopped her. She looked at him like he were mad for a moment, but then she watched as he raised the palm of his hand skyward. Three slices of pizza and three paper plates came floating toward them, coming to hover in front of her, Lincoln and Sibella.

"Hehe. I forgot I was dealing with a magical genius." Ronnie Anne said with a chuckle, patting Lincoln on the cheek before looking toward the viewers. "Oh, hey! When'd they get here?"

"Not too long ago. I'd offer you guys a slice, but….you're kinda out there."

"So, what were you talking about, Lincoln? If I may ask." Sibella inquired.

"Just kinda pondering what's next, ya know?"

"Well, we have no way of knowing that for sure…" The vampiress commented before taking a bite of pizza.

"But whatever happens, we'll be right there with you." Ronnie Anne told him, before amending herself. "...well, maybe not always physically…"

"Hehe. It's cool, Ronnie Anne. I know what you mean."

"She's right, you know." Phantasma said from right behind them, startling them all. "Hee hee! Like I was saying, just how we know you'll be there for us, Linky, we'll be there for you." She continued, giving her living boyfriend a big hug from behind. The Loud warlock smiled as Sibella and Ronnie Anne went in for a hug too, Lincoln sharing a loving kiss with each of them in turn.

* * *

 _AN: And with that, this story comes to a close. However, I do plan to keep the series going. After a little break (so I can work on Lincoln Juice and Reluctant Werewolf a little more), I will attempt to start up a new LLATGS series with a more episodic structure; like the Loud House itself. Special thanks to mtsocano for the episodic series suggestion, and thanks to all of you for sticking with me and enjoying this story._


End file.
